Fruits Basket
by Sera Makkusu
Summary: This is my take at putting the Fruits Basket graphic novels into REGULAR novels. I guess you can't consider it REAL fanfiction... Just for fun, no copyright infringement intended. Now you can enjoy Furuba all over again, but in a different way! ;D
1. Chapter One

**A/N: Okay, this is just something I'm doing for fun. I promise this isn't the only thing I'll ever have. I'll publish some TRUE fanfiction soon. I haven't finished editing and such...so warn me of any typos...(If anyone cares to read it)**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket! All credit to Natsuki Takaya. No copyright infringement intended.**

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Tohru stepped outside and looked up to the sky with a bright smile, as always.

"Wow!" she gasped, "It looks like today's going to be another hot one." Her near waist-length brunette hair fanned out behind her from the slight breeze, as she looked down and out at the beautiful forest by the city of Tokyo. She leaned back into the small tent. "I'm not forgetting anything am I? Okay, Mom, you're in charge while I'm gone," she told the small picture frame on her little cardboard box that held her possessions.

She started towards the creek, not wanting to be late for school, and called back to the empty tent, "I'm off!"

After crossing the small creek, she looked at her watch. _I have some time before school, so I think I'll explore the area, _Tohru thought, checking the time.

Walking over a hill, Tohru spotted a house. It was large, very beautiful. _Wow! It's amazing. Looks a little expensive, too, _she thought. She stumbled down the side of the hill, and went up to the front porch. On their own little platform, Tohru saw twelve Chinese zodiac animal figurines. _Oh…how cute! _She giggled. She bent down to look at them.

"Hello, what's this?" Tohru heard an unfamiliar voice question. "I must be seeing things," the voice spoke again. _Yes, definitely a male voice._ Tohru's head snapped up.

She saw a man, maybe in his mid-twenties, with black hair standing in the doorway of what must be his home. Tohru noticed that he was wearing a traditional robe. The man set down the newspaper he had been holding and continued. "A girl…out here? My, my…" He then muttered to himself, "A high school girl, no less!"

Tohru jumped to her feet and went into an instant panic attack. "H—hello! I'm sorry for trespassing! I just saw these," she motioned quickly to the zodiac figurines, "and – ah!" _There was someone here! There still is! _She panicked further.

"Please continue, I merely set them there to dry," the man told her simply. He smiled at her and resumed. "I thought you young people were bored by the old-fashioned superstitions like the Chinese zodiac."

Tohru, finally getting a hold of herself, thought, _Ooh! What a beautiful person…_Noticing that he had spoken, she stuttered out, "N—no! I think these zodiac animals are adorable!"

"Hmm…aren't they? I like them, too."

"But I guess you wouldn't have the cat…" Tohru trailed off.

"Cat? Oh, you mean…the cat from the zodiac legend?" he wondered.

"That's right!" she exclaimed. "My mother told me that story all the time! 'Once upon a time, God told the animals, I'm inviting you all to my banquet tomorrow. Don't be late!' She'd wag her finger at that point, and it'd make me laugh."

"'Hearing that that mischievous rat lied to his neighbor, the cat, and told him the banquet would be the day after tomorrow. The next day, the rat rode on the back of the ox and nimbly landed before the banquet hall. After him followed the ox, the tiger, and all the rest, and together they feasted until morning. All except for the cat who had been tricked.'"

"Every time Mom would tell me that part of the story, I'd start to cry. She'd ask me why, and I'd tell her, 'Poor thing! Poor, poor, poor cat…' I remember saying that I didn't want to be a dog anymore. I wanted to be a cat! That's how much I like that cat."

"Is that so?" the man asked, suddenly interested. "I wish I could see the expression on his face if he heard you say that."

"What?"

"Oh, nothing," he assured. They both smiled, although Tohru's was quite goofy looking. "So, you were born in the year of the dog? I knew I felt connected to you. Can't you feel it?" He grew more excited. "I'm a 'dog' too, you—"

There was a loud _thump! _interrupting the black-haired man. Tohru leaned over to help him. It looked like he was hit in the head with a…book bag?

"Really. Must you always act like such a leech?" said a strangely familiar voice. Tohru slowly raised her head.

"Okay, that hurt," the man complained, "What do you have in there, a dictionary?"

"Two of them," the familiar voice corrected.

Tohru widened her eyes. Now she definitely recognized this boy.

"Are you all right Honda-San?" he asked Tohru with a slight smile. "My cousin didn't _do _anything to you did he?" His eyes suddenly darted at the black-haired man.

Tohru was melting one second, and nearly lost her mind the next. "S—Sohma-Kun! Ah—g—good morning!"

She couldn't believe it. Yuki Sohma, the 'Prince' of her high school! _She_ was standing on _his_ porch, _she_ was at _his_ house! _This couldn't be more than a dream! _Tohru thought. Yuki's silver hair rustled with wind slowly picking up, and his lavender eyes sparkled, and then they closed with his smile. In fact, he was pretty feminine.

"Morning," Yuki replied to her simply while straightening his book bag.

"Hmph! You must always make me out to be a pervert?" The black-haired man looked away from them dramatically, referring to Yuki's previous comment. He looked back and asked, "You're Yuki-Kun's classmate?" Tohru stiffened. "I'm Shigure Sohma, Yuki-Kun's cousin," he introduced himself.

"Pleased to meet you, I'm Tohru Honda."

"Honda-San, what brings you here?" Yuki asked in the silky smooth voice of his.

Tohru didn't want to mess up by saying something weird. Her living in a tent was supposed to be secretive. She clutched her book bag to her chest. "Uh—…oh! I, ah, live nearby!" _Oh no, _she thought.

"Near here?" Yuki asked, clearly believing he had misunderstood her.

"Really?" Shigure wondered. They both had surprised, even confused expressions, and Tohru tensed up even more, if possible.

"Well, ah, anyway we're going to be late, ah, so—"Tohru reasoned, turning on her heels.

"Since you're here, why don't we walk to school together?" Yuki suggested.

Tohru wasn't letting _this _pass her, so she followed Yuki down the path that led to the school. They walked in an awkward silence.

Approaching the school, they heard footsteps following them, and a group of girls muttering amongst themselves. They sounded really annoyed, too.

Tohru and Yuki walked into the building, Tohru thanked him, and they went to their separate classes.

While Tohru was in the hallway with her two friends, Uo and Hana, she heard the girls' voices from a few minutes ago.

"Honda-San! Explain yourself!" Minami Kinoshita yelled at her.

Tohru just froze, trying to find words. It's harder than it sounds. Minami was a fan club girl. In this fan club, members literally worship and protect their 'Prince', Yuki Sohma.

"Well?!" she yelled at Tohru again. "Why did you and Yuki come to school together? Give us a full and complete explanation!" The other members quickly agreed to receive one.

Tohru couldn't find any words, still. Why were they so mad?

"Well?!" Minami asked yet again.

Tohru would just have to do her best at explaining. "It's—it's just a coincidence! Ah—don't you think you're overreacting?" she asked, as always, with no attitude at all, hoping they'd leave her alone.

"You idiot!" she began, "Overreacting? If coincidences like that were legal, we wouldn't need the police!" she yelled. The other members, again, agreed to what was said. Other students in the hallway started to complain about the noise.

"Look, you!" Minami continued, "Just because Sohma-Kun is so kind as to hang out with you—it's no reason for you to get a swelled head!"

Tohru was on the edge of crying now, "I'm not!" she defended with tears in her eyes, squeezing them shut. Her hands began to shake beside her.

"Hey!" Uotani defended. She swung her head, and stood over Minami, with her blonde hair covering one eye, and draping over her shoulders, barely touching them. "Tohru said it was a coincidence, didn't she? Stop fantasizing and get a life." Uo glared at her.

Hanajima, with her long black braid over her shoulder, slowly turned her attention to the argument.

"Uo-Chan, Hana-Chan…" Tohru started to say, holding her hands up in front of her chest. She was about to tell them that they didn't need to defend her, when Minami interrupted again.

"W—what's this?! Threatening us with your gangster buddy, huh? Don't think we're through with you just because of this Yankee! I though Yankee girls were out of fashion!" she yelled, trying to stand over them. The other fan girls started muttering amongst themselves.

While Hana couldn't take their immaturity. She turned her head and said rather loudly to herself, "I could…" a beep sounded from her strangely, followed by crackling noises, "…them with electro-poison waves."

Eyes widened, shrieks filled the halls, and Minami and the fan club girls ran, not bothering to get their explanation now. They were terrified of the psychic. Uo held Tohru to her comfortingly.

"You saved me," Tohru told her friends.

"Oh, you poor thing. There, there," she said to Tohru. "Hanajima, don't zap anyone." Hana said nothing, therefore no promises.

They walked to their classes, and, soon enough, it was lunch period. Tohru sat down with Uo and Hana at their usual table.

"This morning," Tohru started, "I was really nervous. Sohma-Kun is so handsome…I just froze up. We didn't even talk," she admitted sadly, blushing with her hands in her lap, twisting.

"Hmm," Hana said, staring at her knife after cutting. "I detect strange waves emanating from him." She put the cover back on her knife, as students chattered in the cafeteria.

Uo sighed. "Here we go again, time for Hanajima's wave report."

"Strange?" Tohru asked, looking up from her cooking.

Hana closed her eyes. "I don't really know how else to explain."

"What's to explain?" Uo asked, running her fingers through her hair. "The guy's a walking enigma. Never talks about himself." The former Yankee leaned back and added, "Not that I care." She sat back up straight again and continued. "I hear a second year girl confessed her love for him once…and when she tried to hug him, he flung her away. Totally freaked her out."

"I—I didn't know that. I wonder why?" Tohru said, surprised.

"Exactly," Hana said simply, picking up a small wooden spoon. "It's the mystery that makes him so intriguing." Just then, they heard footsteps approaching the table.

"You there!" a cafeteria staff called, "Move your hands, not your mouths!" When she got a closer look at their table, she was shocked. "Oh—oh my…" The three girls each had a plate of fish, there was rice cooking off to the side, sauce, and even a few side dishes lay out in front of them.

Uo broke the silence. "Hey, lobster face. Can we go on now or would you like us to help extract your foot from your mouth?"

"Who do you think you're fooling?! Honda-San made these for you!" the lady yelled at Hana and Uo, pointing at Uo's plate.

"What do you care?" Uo replied instantly. Tohru was going into another panic attack from all the yelling.

Hana walked over to the rice cooker. "Oh my, the rice is done, too." The staff lady walked away quickly, not caring anymore. The table got silent, as students complained about their food being edible or not.

"Oh hey," Uo started up a conversation, "I'm going shopping with Hanajima on my way home today. Why don't you come with, Tohru?" She hesitated. "Oh wait, you're working aren't you?" she asked, leaning over to her.

Tohru looked up. "Yes, I don't want to be late," she said, smoothing her flower-print apron.

Uo clicked her tongue. "That sucks, you having to pay all your school expenses yourself."

"But you shouldn't have to work every day just to pay your tuition," Hana said, serving their rice. "This is public school."

Tohru brought her hands to her chest in fists and smiled. "After I graduate, I want to be able to pay my own way. That's why I have to start saving up now!" she said, trying to cover up her current situation with a half-truth.

Uo's eyes got watery. "God dammit, Tohru," she started crying, but kept her voice even. "You're making me cry! So selfless." She sniffed, trying to relax. "Eat up. You need your strength!"

"Yes ma'am," Tohru muttered.

Hana looked down at the table. "Our little Tohru made this," Hana said proudly.

Uo got herself together. "You're still living with your dad's family, right?" she asked Tohru.

Tohru blushed furiously at herself for not telling them. She stiffened. "Yes!" she said a little too quickly.

"Are they feeding you properly? They're not cheating you out of the money you're earning are they?!" Uo was seriously concerned now, while Hana was mumbling about how perfect the rice was.

"Not a grain out of place…"

Tohru was still…panicking. _I can't tell them the truth!_ Tohru thought, _If she knew I was living in a tent, Uo-Chan would be outraged. She's burst into grandpa's house on her motorcycle! _She shuddered at the thought of it. How would she explain _that_?

After they finished their lunch, Arisa Uotani, Saki Hanajima, and Tohru Honda went to their next classes. And the next, and the next. The rest of the day flew past no less or more ordinary than the last. As Tohru was stopping by her locker to pick up what she needed to bring to her lame excuse of a home and to work, she ran into Yuki.

"Ah—Sohma-Kun! I'm sorry about this morning!" Tohru apologized.

Yuki grinned. "It's I who should apologize. Please, forgive my cousin's rudeness," he also apologized, while shutting his locker and swinging his book bag over his shoulder.

"Oh, no! He was wonderful," she assured him. "We were just looking at his Chinese zodiac ornaments."

They stepped out of the building and started on their way towards home.

"Did I hear correctly that you wished you were born year of the cat?" Yuki asked.

She laughed once. "Er…I was eccentric when I was little," she answered with a nervous smile and a light blush. She started to play with her bangs, brushing them this way, that way.

"I see," Yuki said, straightening his book bag. "The cat is a fool," he said coldly. "And he has bad nature."

"Huh? Bad nature?" Tohru's eyes widened curiously.

"Did you know…that the Chinese zodiac is actually a timekeeping system of tens and twelves?" Tohru said nothing. "It was used for calendars and clocks. Later, astrologers combined it with the principles of yin-yang, the five elements and symmetry in order to tell fortunes." Yuki started walking ahead.

"Animals had nothing to do with it?" Tohru asked, picking up her pace.

"No."

A few minutes later Yuki sighed and continued. "When and why they added the animals," he paused, "no one really knows. But there was never room for the cat in the zodiac. And it's better that way. The cat would throw off everything." He narrowed his eyes. "The cat really is a fool," he added.

Tohru looked at her feet, and put her index finger to her forehead. _I was following his story just fine…_she thought …_but now I'm lost. _"Sohma-Kun, you…hate cats?"

Yuki looked back at her, and he smirked, dark. Tohru caught herself staring…at least until the alarm on her watch went off.

"Ah! Oh no! Is it that late already?! I'm sorry Sohma-Kun! I have to go to work!" Tohru apologized, yet again.

"Honda-San," Yuki said, walking over to her. He stood close, and caught a leaf just as it was about to blow into her face. "You don't look well. It's been quite hot lately. You shouldn't overexert yourself," he warned, bringing his hand down. As he walked away, he dropped the leaf and said, "Well…I'll see you tomorrow." Yuki never looked back.

Tohru blushed, touching her forehead. _'It's the mystery that makes him so intriguing.' _she remembered. _I think I know what she meant, _Tohru thought. Her head was spinning from just being around him.

Her face became horrified as she imagined what the fans would say right now.

_"Don't…get a swelled head! Don't take advantage of Sohma-Kun's kindness!" _they yelled in her mental picture.

"I won't!" Tohru screamed aloud.

_'You shouldn't overexert yourself,' _replayed in her head.

Tohru walked to work, same as any other day, and got into uniform. She was staring out at the city from one of the highest floors in the building that she cleaned every day, and she started to think about her parents again.

Tohru Honda's father, Katsuya Honda, died of illness when she was only three. Her mom, Kyoko, worked so hard, before and after he died, to support them. _Mom was always there for me,_ Tohru thought sadly. _She was my cheerful protector. It never occurred to me that she could die... _

There were arguments over who would be the relative she lives with. Some houses were too small, and some relatives already had extra people living with them. Finally, it was decided by the family that she would live with her grandfather. He lived off a pension, so Tohru agreed that she would pay her expenses by herself.

Four months later, the house needed renovations because Tohru's aunt and her husband were coming to live with them. Her grandfather asked if she could stay with a friend. Tohru told him yes, but that wasn't true. Uotani has a one room apartment, and Hanajima has a rather large family already. She didn't want to be a burden.

Then, it hit her. She would be living on her own sometime, so why couldn't she start then? She wouldn't have much money, and she would be living in a cheap tent bought on sale for half price, but everyone else would be happy! So, now here she is, working part time all the time.

"Err…miss, could you hurry up and move these? I can't get through," said a man who worked in the building. He was hidden from the waist down by a pile of garbage bags.

Tohru snapped out of it and pushed her thoughts aside, focusing on the present. "Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" she said looking over. Running the garbage out of the building, she slid back into her thoughts. _Even if instead of door-to-door salesmen, I'm visited by mosquitoes and slugs! Even if a simple storm threatens to blow my house away, like the other day! _She began to scrub counters.

"I'll never give up!" she said out loud. "I can't let it get to me. I will not allow for sadness. My home is my castle. My home is my castle!"

Across the hallway, two other custodians sat on a bench. "Since she got here," one nodded her head at Tohru, admiring her progress, "work sure has gotten easier."

Meanwhile that night, Yuki and Shigure were taking a walk in the forest behind their house.

"My, my, my. Look at the time. I almost forgot about dinner," Shigure remembered, and sighed. "Take-out food every night is no way to live."

"Then you make dinner, Shigure," Yuki suggested.

Shigure looked over at him blankly. "But you hate my cooking."

"That's because you put pickles in curry." They continued down the path.

"As if you're one to talk. You may be smart, Yuki-Kun, but your homemaking skills leave much to be desired. What we hopeless bachelors need is a 'flower' to brighten up our barbaric lives."

Yuki closed his eyes and tilted his head with a sarcastic smile. "Well, aren't you progressive, Shigure," he said.

"What? Wouldn't you like a woman around the house?" Shigure glanced through the trees at the sound of footsteps. He did a double take, and abruptly stopped walking. "Oh! Isn't that Tohru-Kun?" Yuki also stopped walking.

"Of course you remember a _girl's_ name."

"Yes," Shigure chuckled, "I do have a gift don't I?" He liked the name Tohru for a girl, even though it's usually a boy's. Therefore, she was always addressed 'Tohru-_Kun_'. "It's awfully late to be wandering around in these woods. Does she really live nearby?" he wondered. "And is it just me, or does she look a little drunk?" Tohru was staggering towards a tent.

"Hmm…I heard her mother died. Maybe she moved here."

"But that's impossible. We're not renting this land to anyone," Shigure reasoned. They both looked at each other in silence for a moment or two.

Tohru was walking to her tent. She sighed, "So tired..." She ducked into the tent. "I'm home, mom," she said as she yawned. "I'm falling asleep but I have to finish my homework." She picked up a washcloth. "Oh…so dizzy." Tohru started to crawl out of the tent. "Maybe if I washed my face, I'd—"

She stopped dead. Her eyes snapped open wide, and stared at Yuki and Shigure. They stared back down at her.

Shigure pointed at her and laughed insanely, as Yuki just stared for a moment.

Yuki squeezed his eyes shut angrily. "Shigure, don't be rude."

Tohru just sat there on her knees, blushing with her hands clasped in front of her chest. Yuki and Shigure walked her back to their home, mostly Yuki while Shigure went on laughing, and Tohru explained that she was living by herself and why. "I see…so that explains the tent," Yuki said, sitting across the table from Tohru. Shigure was sitting next to Yuki, now snickering. "How long have you been living there?" Yuki asked.

Tohru's eyes dropped to the floor. "For about a week," Tohru replied shakily. Her hands were in her lap twisting themselves in various ways—again.

"I wondered how you could be living nearby. You know that this hill is Sohma property? We haven't rented it out or sold it," Yuki explained.

Shigure giggled. "A girl in a tent…pfft!" He just couldn't control himself.

Tohru stopped twisting her hands and held the fabric of her skirt. "Umm…Then, if it's not too much trouble, could you rent me a camping space?" she asked. "I'll leave as soon as my grandpa's remodeling is done. I don't have much money, but I can pay," she promised. "Please?"

The laughing stopped. "That place is dangerous. The cliff wall is unstable and you never know when some shady character may pass through," Shigure said. "Besides, where will you plug in your curling iron?" he added with an, "Ah, I crack me up."

"Are you done?" Yuki asked, clearly annoyed.

Tohru jumped to her feet and clenched her fist, holding it high. "It's okay! I don't mind the slugs! I can take care of myself!"

_Ack…_both of the guys thought

"Please…" she pleaded, "I'm…begging…you…" Tohru's innocent face pinked and she fell backwards, and back onto her knees.

Yuki jumped to his feet. "Honda-San!" He put his hand an inch away from her forehead and instantly felt the heat. "You have a fever. You don't look well."

"I'll get ice," Shigure promised. He jumped up and went towards the kitchen. He took one look and put one hand on the back of his head and the other on his hip. Filth. Everywhere. "…Huh. Now, if I were ice, where would I be hiding…?"

Tohru walked over and her expression was 'oh-wow-I've-never-seen-anything-like-that-before-in-my-entire-life-oh-my-god'. "It's like a garbage jungle…" she said with a nervous laugh.

"Oh!" Shigure smiled at her, "that's nearly poetic!"

Suddenly, Shigure's eyes widened and he zoned out. There was a dog's howl from outside. Shigure looked out the window. "There was a landslide just now."

"What?" asked Tohru, shakily.

"The ground is still weak from the storm," he answered.

"Uh, um, how do you know?"

"How? Call it 'animal instinct'," he shrugged.

"Stop messing around. Where was the landslide?" Yuki asked, bringing a first aid kit into the room just in case.

"Always so solemn, Yuki-Kun."

Tohru's eyebrows pulled together. "Could it have been…" she mumbled. "WH—what if it was near my tent?!" she asked. She started to panic. A moment passed, and she calmed. "Er…just kidding." Even though she wasn't. She laughed once nervously.

"That's the spirit!" Shigure smiled at Tohru.

Yuki's eyes widened. "Seriously—where was it?" he asked. It was silent for a moment, and they all ran to what was Tohru's tent, and she lead the way.

"Aah!" Tohru stepped closer. In the exact spot her tent was set up, there had to be hundreds of pounds of mud and dirt. It was thick and sloped, piling higher than Tohru's head. She started to shake.

"Th—Th—this is terrible…!" she stuttered. "My picture of mother was in that tent!" Tohru's voice got higher and louder with every word. "Mom!" she screamed.

"Honda-San?" Yuki asked for her attention.

Tohru ran over to the monstrous mound of earth and tried to dig with her hands. But it was hopeless, no doubt.

"Honda-San, you're not well," Yuki told her, appearing by her side.

"But!" she protested. There was mud deep under her nails, and she gave up. Her eyes went wider. "But—but, Mom! I have to save her!" _MOM! _She screamed internally. She didn't have the strength to scream aloud. Her hands fell and her fingers curled.

"She's in pain!" Yuki yelled to Shigure, who was walking over to them calmly. He kneeled down to Tohru.

"Let's come back when it's light out," he suggested with a smile. "If there's another landslide and you get hurt, your mother will be in even more pain," he warned her. "Okay?" As she looked up at Shigure, Yuki watched Tohru's worried and sad face. Yuki and Shigure helped her get back to the house safely.

Shigure found two blankets and a pillow, and set her up a 'bed' on the floor so she could lie down. Tohru held the top blanket up, covering the bottom half of her face.

Shigure looked down at her. "Yuki-Kun's looking for some ice right now," he sighed. "It's probably fatigue. You've been pushing yourself too hard," he guessed.

Tohru's face was deep red from her high fever. "I'm sorry…" she apologized. "…Again. I lost my home again. My castle…" Her eyelids were falling slightly.

Still standing, Shigure leaned back. He smiled weakly, and kneeled down next to her with a paper fan in his hand. "Does it hurt?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow.

Tohru's eyes stared straight at the ceiling. "No," she said, "I've been through…worse."

"You poor child." Shigure said slowly. "Tell me about it."

Tohru paused for a minute or two. "'Come home safe', why couldn't I just tell her that?" she began weakly. She paused, and Shigure waited patiently. "…I had a quiz. I stayed up all night studying, and I overslept. That was the only morning I didn't tell her 'come home safe'. I always did—except that once." She was speaking slowly, exhausted. "I…" Her eyes shut. "After the accident, I considered not going to high school, and just working full time." Tohru swallowed hard. "Mom told me that she only graduated from junior high. She said that she wanted me to finish high school for her, and have fun. Tell her what it felt like to hold that diploma in my hand."

"She wanted a better life for me," her voice broke. "She worked so hard, and…I forgot to tell her to come home safe. I didn't see her back as she left for work." She paused a moment. "But it's not too late!" she said quickly. "Even with my grades and my house being taken away…I can still make it up to my mom." _I can't bring her back…_she thought sadly. She then said it aloud and added, "…but I can live the life she wanted for me. She wanted me to finish high school…so I'll graduate…for her. That's my goal," she said, drifting into sleep. "This is no time to…lose to…a fever…"

Yuki walked through the doorway with an ice pack and a towel. "Is she asleep?" he asked Shigure in a whisper.

Shigure looked up at him with a serious face. "Were you listening?" he asked at normal volume. Tohru didn't flinch.

"I'm surprised," Yuki said. "At school she's so care-free. You'd never imagine the life she's lived. It's incredible, really."

"Incredible? How?"

"I've always wanted…" Yuki wrapped the towel around the ice pack and set it on the table. "…to run away from the Sohma family," he admitted. "But I only had the courage to run as far as another Sohma house. I could have lived in a tent like Honda-San…" He looked down and closed his lavender eyes. "…I could have gone to the woods…" He paused and thought about it. "…I'm acting like a spoiled brat. It's pathetic." He sat down next to Shigure.

"Well, you are spoiled," Shigure told him with a smile, and playfully tapped him on the head with his paper fan. Yuki's hair slightly frizzed at that. "…but your spirit is different from Tohru-Kun's. There's really no comparison," he said truthfully. Shigure chuckled, closing his eyes. He fanned himself a few times. Yuki was silent, watching him. "And if you think that's incredible…then you really don't appreciate Tohru-Kun."

After a hesitation, Yuki stood up. "You're right," he said. "Can you take care of her? I'm going out." Tohru was definitely in a deep sleep now.

Shigure's eyes widened as he looked up at him. "Where? Don't tell me you're going to go dig up her things?" He waited for an answer. Nothing. "Should I go with you?" Nothing. "It's too much to do alone," he told him.

Yuki began to walk to the door, and a rat ran by his feet. Yuki didn't mind. "Alone?" He turned in the doorway. "I never said…I was going alone." He smiled darkly.

"Be careful," Shigure warned him with a grin.

Tohru was falling deeper into her sleep, and she began to dream. _Tohru…you have a fever again. _Kyoko, her mother, was down on the balls of her feet with a cigarette in her hand. Tohru was resting her head in her mother's lap.

_You don't have to push yourself so hard, _Kyoko told her. Another image came to Tohru's dream. Her mother then stood and put her hands on her hips.

_Tohru, you must always be yourself. And do things at your own pace. _Her mother's red hair was barely grown down to her chin.

A completely different image came to mind. It was Tohru, as a little girl, and a boy about the same age whose face was blurred. He placed his red hat on her head. That day, he had helped her find her way home. Tohru had no idea who he was, though. _Someday…you'll catch up, _an unrecognizable voice said. Maybe it was the boy's?

Tohru then dreamt her crying in her mother's lap, like in the first part of her scrambled dream. _But…_her own voice said, _this time, if I don't push myself a little, I'll die alone._

Tohru jolted awake, sitting up fast. Now she was wearing a kimono that she'd changed into before she fell asleep. _Oh no! How could I have fallen asleep?! I have to dig mom out! _She panicked with an angry expression.

Tohru furiously pushed open the paper door, looking determined to complete the task, only to find Yuki standing right in front of her. He wore jeans and a white button down shirt. He had a bag in one hand, picture frame in the other. Tohru calmed, but only for a moment. She was surprised, is all.

Yuki gave her a welcoming smile. "Good morning. How are you feeling?" he asked cheerfully.

"So—muh—goo—," she stuttered. She was meaning to say, 'Sohma-Kun, good morning,' it just came out strangely.

Yuki held out the picture frame. "Here. Your picture."

"Huh?" Tohru managed to squeak out. She brushed her hair out of her face with her hand. She was surprised, happy …confused. Yuki held out the picture of Kyoko, _her mother_, which was buried in the landslide just hours ago.

"The rest of your things should be in these bags," Yuki continued, motioning to a few paper bags on the porch. "Could you make sure?"

"Eh?!" Tohru choked out. She was still wildly confused. "How?!" she almost screamed. "You dug through the landslide by yourself?!"

"Of course not," Yuki laughed. Then he said something in gibberish, and started to laugh a little _too_ much.

_What's funny?_ Tohru wondered. "Then how did you—?"

"It's a secret," he whispered. Tohru just stared at him, smiling weirdly.

"Well," she started awkwardly, "Thank you. Thank you so much!" She bowed before him.

"Sure," Yuki said simply, picking up her bags. "I'll take your things upstairs," he said casually.

"Huh?" Tohru asked, smiling weirdly again. Take her things... _UPSTAIRS_?!

Yuki was halfway through the doorway, and looked over his shoulder at her. "The house is filthy, and we're not used to having women around…but there's a room for you upstairs," he informed her. "You can stay here until the remodeling is finished."

Tohru's eyes widened. "NO!" she blurted out unthinkingly. She was clutching the picture frame to her chest. She shook her head hard and fast. "No! I couldn't possibly—"

"Oh, don't worry. There's a lock on the door," Yuki said. Assuming that he understood the conflict.

"Th—that's not it! I mean…"

"Tohru-Kun, do you like housework?" Tohru froze and squeaked as Shigure's voice came from behind her just then. "Like cooking and cleaning," Shigure continued.

"Y-you startled me," Tohru began. "Umm…yes, I like housekeeping. I'm pretty good at it if I do say so." She paused, and then asked, "Why?"

Shigure smiled. "Welcome to the Sohma house! This room hasn't been used in a while, so it's a little stuffy. Oh, we'll need to make a spare house key…" he trailed off. Tohru was overwhelmed. "Yuki-Kun, find her something to wear." Well, Tohru's clothes _were_ dirty after her little adventure in the woods…

Tohru lost her ability to speak words for a moment. "Ah…um…"

"I'll help carry your things," Shigure told her. "Er…the little ones," he added quickly but quietly.

Tohru pressed her hands to the sides of her head, and her eyes grew wider. "No…really, I couldn't! Taking care of me and giving me a room—it's too much! I'm causing you too much trouble!" This was happening too fast for her. Yesterday she was living in a tent and now she's in the Prince's house?!

"Honda-San," Yuki said calmly, as he started up the stairs after Shigure, and looked over his shoulder. "We're the ones asking for you to stay. You're not a bother. If we didn't want you here, we wouldn't ask."

"But—" Tohru tried to protest, and started following them upstairs.

"Besides, where else are you going to go?" Yuki interrupted.

It became completely silent, and Tohru hesitated before continuing up the stairs. She knew that there was absolutely nowhere for her to go. Yuki started to give her a tour of the home. He showed her the location of each of their rooms, the toilet, bath, and Shigure's office. "I'll try not to be any trouble. Please tell me the Sohma rules and customs. I don't want to do anything to—"

"Honda-San," Yuki interrupted. "It's okay. Just be yourself, and do things at your own pace. You'll fit right in," he promised her.

Tohru stared. That's exactly what her mother had told her. _Sohma-Kun…really is a mystery, _she thought. "I'll do my best! I am at the mercy of your hospitality."

"Like I said…" Yuki found a pair of pants and a collared shirt of his for Tohru to change into so her clothes could be cleaned.

While she was changing, Shigure told Yuki, "You realize I was kidding about the "flower". Are you sure it's okay for her to stay with us?" he asked him.

"You were just jumping for joy a minute ago," Yuki replied. "Don't worry. Everything will be fine," he assured. "…as long as she doesn't hug anyone."

_Somehow, it all happened so fast, _Tohru realized. _It feels like a dream. Suddenly, I was living in Sohma-Kun's house. _Yuki brought her back to her room, and told her, "It really is stuffy in here. I'll open the window."

As he did that, Tohru was in deep thought. She turned away from Yuki. _Come to think of it, where are Sohma-Kun's parents? Are they living somewhere else?_ She paused and thought about that. Then she just dropped the subject for now._ It's all too good to be true…_she thought. Yuki slid open the window behind her. _I hope my staying here doesn't cause them too much trou—_

_ BAM! SNAPSSSHH! _Her thoughts were interrupted by something bursting right through the ceiling. Her eyes widened and her hair flew forwards into her face. She heard boards and crumbles of the ceiling and roof falling down to the floor.

Yuki slowly looked over. Downstairs, Shigure paused in ordering his take-out. Tohru slowly looked over her shoulder. She turned all the way around.

"Are you ready for me to break your neck, Rat boy?" The boy who just fell through the ceiling, unharmed, yelled this at Yuki. He looked about the same age as her and Yuki, maybe a little taller than him, and his hair was a fiery orange. He wore baggy pants and a dark t-shirt. He cracked his shoulders.

_Eh?! _Tohru was really confused, now. _The ceiling…is he hurt? Why did he call him 'Rat boy'? Who—well, hello, orange…head… _The boy had an odd bracelet on, too. It had round beads; it looked like they were carved, but not from wood, with red and white colors alternating in a pattern.

Yuki looked at the ceiling, smirking. A giant hole was ripped through it, and a wooden board hung from it. He looked back down and at the boy. "Seriously…must you break something _every_ time you come home? When _are _you going to learn?" Yuki cocked one eyebrow, and stated, "You're too weak."

Tohru started to panic as the boy clenched his fists. "Why, you! If you think I'm the same as before, you're in for a world of pain!" Tohru's eyes grew wide, and she reached forward. "Today I'm taking you down!" The boy stepped towards Yuki, and Tohru broke. "Brace yourself!" he warned Yuki.

Tohru took a step forward. "No! P—please, stop!" She tripped on a piece of wood and fell into him, who was in front of her. Her face slammed into his back, and her arms instinctively went around him.

The boy's face turned towards Tohru. "Ah?!"

"Ah!" Yuki took a step towards them. A boom sounded, and smoke completely and quickly filled the room up. And…the cat, unable to attend the banquet, was angry that he had been deceived, and was always trying to catch the rat.

Footsteps came to the door. It was Shigure. "Yuki-Kun? I heard the noise," he was referring to the loud explosion sound, "Is Kyo back?"

Yuki smacked his forehead, while Tohru fumbled through a pile of clothes, obviously, very confused. She apologized, "I—I'm so sorry. Are you okay? Excuse me—" _What happened? _she wondered. She held up an orange cat that was inside of what was the orange haired boy's shirt.

"Oh my," Shigure said with a chuckle. Yuki walked over to him and rested his arm and head on his shoulder.

"Can't we do something about that idiot?"

* * *

**A/N: Please please please please PLEASE review. Flame if you must. Chapter two very soon. :)**


	2. Chapter Two

**A/N: Back with chapter two! Actually, I will be updating _very_ often because I actually already am working on chapter 21 on my computer! So I'll update every two or three days. I just thought I'd update the same day so I could get the story going.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket but Natsuki Takaya most definately does! C:**

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Tohru stared at the orange cat that she held out in front of her. Her mouth was handing open slightly. "He…turned into a cat," she said confusedly. "But…he was a boy just a second ago…" She went into another instant panic, squeezing the cat, but not hard enough to hurt him. "Aahh! Is this because I crashed into him? I hit him in the wrong place and he turned into a cat?!" she asked quite loudly.

Yuki put his hands on his hips. It was Shigure that answered, with his index finger against his forehead in frustration. "No…Well, yeah. Kinda…?" Yuki just stood quietly, also in frustration.

Tohru held the cat to her chest and turned for the door. Starting to go towards it, she said, "We have to get him to the hospital! He needs medical attention!" Just above her head, the board that was still hanging fell and bonked her right on the head.

Shigure and Yuki both were shocked. "Tohru-Kun?"

"Honda-San?!" Tohru swayed and managed to fall into both of them. There was another loud boom, twice as loud, and more smoke. That made Tohru's eyes snap open, and then the situation just got even stranger. She was holding a cat, and was face to face with a big black dog, and a grey rat was falling down towards the floor, but the Sohmas don't have pets.

Inconveniently, the front door slid open. "Hello? Choppaya delivery, did somebody order breakfast? Sohma-San?" Tohru ran down the steps with a cat in one arm, the dog in the other. The rat was clinging to the dog's ear.

"They're all animals!" she screamed, still panicking, obviously.

"Huh?" The delivery boy tilted his hat up a little. "Uh…yes. Those are animals. Does Sohma-San have pets now?" He looked at her weirdly, and added, "You don't see too many girls around here…" Tohru put down the animals slowly. "So, uh, that'll be ¥16,000—"The dog sat down before the deliverer with a wallet in his mouth. The boy picked up the wallet and pulled out the money owed, then gave it back to the dog. He laughed. "What a smart dog! Well, thank you for your patronage."

The boy handed the food and drinks to Tohru, and she sat down, staring straight ahead.

"Aaaaah!" The cat…yelled? He arched his back. That's weird; he had the same voice as the boy that Tohru had just fallen into. The rat crawled down onto the dog's nose.

The rat looked angry. "Don't blame me. You're the one who got us into this, stupid cat." That's even stranger; the rat had _Yuki's_ voice.

"Great!" the cat replied. "Now how are we gonna explain this mess?!"

_Th—they can talk! _Tohru couldn't believe this. _Really, talking animals?!_

"Arf!" The dog, obviously Shigure's voice, tried to fake. The cat hissed, his tail sticking straight up. "The jig is up. We might as well talk."

"In a nutshell…" the Yuki muttered.

Shigure continued. "…I'm the dog, Yuki's the rat…and Kyo Sohma is the cat. We're possessed by their vengeful spirits. And there are ten others in the Sohma family who are also possessed. Ox, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, sheep, monkey, rooster, and boar." Tohru just stared, baffled, but she believed them. It was actually kind of like she had to, considering they were in the form of animals…talking to her. "Yes…just like the Chinese zodiac," Shigure continued. "For hundreds of years, the Sohma family…has been possessed by twelve vengeful spirits that correspond to the zodiac. We don't have any special powers or anything—Well, we can communicate with our respective animals…but when our bodies are weak, and, for some reason, when we're hugged by someone of the opposite gender, we transform." He paused. "After some time, we change back into humans. But then…we're naked."

Just then, smoke, again, filled the room and all three of them changed back into human form…naked, as Shigure said. Thankfully, the smoke gave Tohru enough time to scream, and turn away. After they found their clothes, and got dressed, Shigure laughed as Tohru…recovered. "Sorry about that," Shigure chuckled, "Didn't mean to show you things that you weren't ready for. Feeling better?"

"I'm getting there…" Tohru said, looking down at the floor. Shigure adjusted his sleeve, and Yuki just stood beside him silently. Kyo, the cat, was sitting on the porch, while Tohru, Yuki, and Shigure stood around the doorway. _They're possessed by the spirits of the zodiac, _Tohru thought. She was letting it sink in. _I've learned a terrible secret. Sohma-Kun didn't want anyone to find out. That's why he pushed away the second year that tried to hug him, _she realized. Yuki leaned against the wall, and Tohru sat down at the table with Shigure.

Shigure leaned over to Tohru and whispered, "By the way, Tohru-Kun, you said you wanted to be a cat." he looked over to Kyo, smiling, hoping he couldn't hear. "What do you think now that you've met him in person?" Shigure grinned.

Tohru looked over at Kyo excitedly. Kyo was looking at the forest behind the house. _Oh yeah! So _he's _the cat! _"Wh—what's he like…?!"

Shigure laughed and flung is hand up and down. "Kyo's such an idiot! He spends all his time studying martial arts, but he didn't even notice when you were right behind him!" Then he added, cupping his neck with another chuckle, "What a disgrace! He should have at least felt your presence! I hope he plans on taking responsibility for this mess." He laughed. "He's like a love struck fool—he only has eyes for Yuki-Kun!"

Kyo turned towards them and his face grew angry. "Shut up!" he yelled, "Don't say it like that! I can't help it if people come sneaking up on me! What's she…what's a _girl_ doing here anyway?!"

Tohru looked at him. "Eh?" She was offended. _What should I do? We haven't even met, and he's mad at me!_

"Watch your mouth," Shigure warned him.

Yuki brushed his hair out of his face. "Whether there's a woman in this house or not is none of your concern," he said to Kyo, both on their last nerve. "You're an outcast, remember?"

Kyo ran over to the table that Yuki was now leaning against, and clenched his teeth. "Shut…UP!" His fist connected with the exact center of the table, and it broke in half. Yuki dodged quickly. There was a whack, and Tohru's head was smacked by the edge of the table that flew up. Kyo's eyes widened. Then Tohru's did. Then Yuki's. Shigure absently looked over. Blood dripped from the center of her forehead.

Yuki glared at Kyo. "Tohru-Kun, you're bleeding!" Shigure said, concernedly.

"Huh? Bleeding?!" Tohru asked shakily. Her head throbbed, and she became slightly dizzy.

Kyo took a step back, surprised at what he'd done. "Ah…" Before Kyo could do anything else, Yuki walked over and smacked him across the face.

Tohru gasped, "Soh—" was all she could manage. She couldn't believe that she'd just seen him do something like that! Shigure looked rather bored with the fighting.

"I always knew you were a fool, but you've really crossed the line this time," Yuki said, straightening his shirt. He was defending her. "Just this once, I'll overlook your stupidity….and give you a real fight, Kyo." Kyo glared at him. A red mark was on his face, and very visible. Yuki gave an angry smile. "Make this worth my time."

Kyo clenched his fists. "Bring it on…PRETTY-BOY!" He was just about to spin around and kick Yuki in the face, but he wasn't fast enough. Yuki held his arm up, and blocked it.

"S—Sohma-Kun!"

Shigure yawned and looked over his shoulder at the fight. "Oh, _this _again. Those two hate each other with a passion. They see each other, they fight," he explained to Tohru. "Right now you should be more concerned about stopping that bleeding." He looked at her forehead. The blood had dripped down to her chin.

"Ah!" Tohru squeaked. Shigure left the room to get a bandage. _So that smile back then, _Tohru remembered that day after school when she asked Yuki if he hated cats. _It was an 'obviously I despise that cat' smile._

"Has meeting Kyo changed your mind about wanting to be a cat?" Shigure asked while he was sitting back down at the table, this time next to Tohru. He laughed.

"Uh, um, shouldn't we stop them?!"

"Hmm? Oh, no, it's almost over," he said, peeling the bandage and placing it on Tohru's forehead. He cleaned up the blood on her face. "At any rate, today will be another…victory for Yuki-Kun."

Yuki just dodged another swing kick, and was crouched on the floor. Kyo tried to punch him to knock him down completely, but Yuki was faster, and blocked it. Yuki slid up to his feet in less than a second. Kyo was face to face with him, and Yuki was smiling, leaning towards him, causing Kyo to almost fall over. He was easily distracted. Yuki's foot smashed into Kyo's face, and Kyo flew through the paper door, and into the backyard. Yuki turned away and stood up straight, cracking his shoulders. Shigure averted his eyes to the snapping noises of the door, and Tohru gasped.

"I thought I told you to make it worth my time," Yuki reminded.

Tohru lost her words again. _He sent him…flying!_ She held tight onto the fabric of the shirt she was wearing. She was shaking.

"Yuki-Kun! Don't you go destroying the house, too!" Shigure complained. He slowly walked over to the door. It was a pile of bent sticks and torn paper. He put his hands on his hips and sighed.

"Sorry. I didn't think that he'd fly that far. His guard is terrible," Yuki apologized. He bent down to Tohru, looking worried. "Honda-San are you okay?" he asked softly.

Tohru held her hands up. "Ah, I'm completely and totally fine!" She paused to look out to the yard where Kyo was laying on his side on top of a rock. He had landed almost on his face."Um, but, he…!"

Yuki stood. "Oh…he'll be fine." He paused, and added, "Probably." He straightened his shirt again. _I'm more worried about the garden, _Yuki thought.

_And so, I learned something else!_ Tohru thought and smiled. _The boy we call 'the Prince' is…strong. I knew he was good at P.E., but this is different. He sent him _flying_. It's like he's been holding back at school. _Tohru widened her eyes and thought about that last word again. _School…_ She screamed quickly and loudly. "School!" Tohru jumped to her feet. "I'm going to be late!"

"School?" Yuki asked. "But what will you wear? All your uniforms are covered in mud," he reminded her.

Tohru paused, and ran to her room. She went through all the bags quickly, found the uniform that was the least dirty, changed, and rushed back downstairs within two minutes. "It's okay," she told the guys quickly. "This one's not _too _muddy! I'll just tell everyone I fell!"

The blue skirt had only one splotch of mud, but the shirt was pretty covered. Yuki looked at her blankly, while Shigure suppressed a smile. _No one is going to buy that,_ they both thought.

Tohru bowed to Shigure, squeezing her eyes shut with embarrassment. "I'm so sorry about this…but I have to get to school."

Shigure held up a hand. "Yes, yes, you made a promise to your mother," he clarified. He smiled at her and put his hand down. "But for my part, I must tell Akito-San, the head of the family, what has happened here." Yuki looked down when he said that, as if remembering something he didn't want to. "The Sohma family secret has been revealed," Shigure added, smiling less than before.

Tohru smiled and looked up at him. "Head of the family…he must be a very important person. Of course, I understand," she told them. She walked through the excuse of a door, looked back, and called back, "Well, I'm off!" She walked away towards the school.

"A little chatty this morning, aren't you?" Yuki commented. Shigure looked over at him questioningly. "You told her a lot about us. You plan on having Honda-San's memories suppressed, don't you?" he asked angrily. "Like last time."

Shigure crossed his arms. "I have no such plans," he said. "Last time there were too many people involved—we had to take steps."

Yuki started to go up the stairs. "I'm going to school, too." He was halfway up, and stopped to add, "You could at least fix the roof," he said a bit louder so that Kyo could hear from the backyard. "Stupid cat."

Shigure looked at Kyo once Yuki was upstairs getting ready. "Kyo-Kun, look after things while we're gone. And please, don't disappear again." No answer. "Oh, and do apologize to Tohru-Kun later," he added.

"Shut up!" Kyo yelled back. He started to sit up and walk towards the house.



At Kaibara High School, Tohru just got her clothes back from the school office. She was currently in some sweats, though. "Thank goodness I was able to borrow the school washing machine," she said, smiling.

She and Uotani were walking to Hana on the other side of the hallway. "You looked terrible," Uo said. "Where did you fall, anyway? In a pig pen?"

"Oh, no…" Tohru told her nervously, scratching her head. Minami walked up to her.

"Pity you washed your uniform," she said. "The mud looked so good on you," she added sarcastically. Tohru brushed her hair out of her face with her hand, and looked at her blankly. Hana started to chase her down the hallway, her head makings buzzing noises. Even lightning was coming out of her own head, _almost_ literally.

Uotani ran her fingers through her hair, and watched Hana start to turn to come back down the hallway. "The Prince is late today, too. No wonder they're more suspicious today than usual," she reasoned. "What a lame put down," she mumbled.

_I can't tell her I'm staying at the Prince's house. _"I—I'm going to go change in the locker room," she said quickly. Then she turned towards the other end of the hallway. "Thank you, Hana-Chan."

"You want me to go with you?" Hana offered.

Tohru laughed nervously. "That's okay," Tohru politely declined. She went into the girls' locker room, and changed out of the borrowed sweats into her school uniform. She walked back out and started to go to her last class, due to being tardy and washing her clothes.

"Honda-San," she heard a calm voice say from behind her. She turned. Yuki was leaning against the wall with his hands behind his back. His expression was sorry. "You didn't tell them, did you? Your friends." He looked down. "About us?"

"Tell them…?" Tohru thought about it. "No! I didn't—"Her eyes were wide and she went into a panic. "Am I making you nervous?! I'm a liability, aren't I?! I…would never tell anyone! My mom always told me that gossiping is wrong!"

Yuki smiled a little bit. "No, it's not that."

"I promise!" Tohru rolled up her sleeve and held her arm up, bent in an 'L' shape. "I'll sign my name in blood or burn myself with a cigarette or anything you want! I'm pretty sure my mom did stuff like that!" she said quickly.

Yuki held up a hand. "No, I told you that's not it." _What kind of person _was_ her mother…? _he wondered.

"I'll—" Tohru tried to offer something else, but Yuki started to walk towards her quickly, and she went up against the other wall. Yuki's hands were on the wall, his arms blocking either side of her, so she couldn't escape him. Tohru widened her eyes and shrank a little bit; she was clutching the clothes she was carrying to her chest.

"You're going to all this trouble to keep our secret," Yuki started to explain. "But it may not be enough. I'm sorry…" He paused and closed his eyes. "…but your memories might have to be erased." Tohru's eyes grew wide and she loosened her hold on the clothes. "I say 'erased', but it's more like hypnosis." His eyebrows pulled together and he opened his eyes. "A long time ago, our secret got out, like it did today. I was in second grade." Yuki had been homeschooled until this year. "We were playing in the garden at the main house. A girl got carried away and hugged me. I caused such a commotion that eventually they had to suppress the memories of everyone who was there," he explained.

He could remember the day so clearly. _Akito…? Akito. _Yuki asked that day. _Am I so strange that we have to erase people's memories to hide it?_ he'd asked him with a small voice.

Akito told him, _Yes, you're strange. Is it _not_ strange for a boy to turn into a rat?_ Akito asked as a rhetorical question. _If normal people knew your secret it would sicken them. They'd stay away from you. You would be forced to live alone. _Akito told him coldly.

"Sohma-Kun?" Tohru asked for the third time. He had been silent for a while. Yuki stood straight and let his arms fall. He looked away from her.

"I cannot defy Akito's wishes. What he decides is what must be done," Yuki told her. "So…I'm sorry." He looked at the floor. "You never asked to get involved with the Sohma family's problems. I'm sorry," he apologized again. It was silent for a moment. "That's all," he said, turning to walk away.

"Uh, um—wai—" Tohru took a step. She held his arms from behind making sure he wouldn't leave, but she was leaning forward just a little too far. Yuki's eyes widened when he noticed her. He transformed. Tohru fell to the floor, losing the support, and Yuki, rat form, fell to the ground. Yuki stood up in his pile of clothes.

Tohru turned and kneeled by the wall and banged her fists on it. "I'm so sorry! I didn't do that on purpose. Oh, I'm such an idiot!" She squeezed her eyes shut and mentally kicked herself, her head down towards the floor.

Yuki sighed and looked down. "Don't sweat it. It's fine. As long as no one saw…"

Tohru sat up and turned on her knees to face him. "Um…Thank you for worrying about me." She was avoiding discussion of the current situation, afraid it would make Yuki uncomfortable. Yuki looked up at her. "It makes me really happy…I, uh—" She paused. "It's okay. I'm fine," she said with a smile. She leaned down a little. Yuki was so small right now compared to her. "I found out such a big secret, that you have to talk to the head of your family about it. You can't help it." She continued to smile. "Please, do whatever will make your family feel most comfortable," she requested. Her face grew pained. _I'll be sad to forget though. They took me into their house unconditionally when they found out I was living in a tent. I was so very happy. But…I'll bear with it. _She looked down and smiled weakly to herself. Then she looked up, still smiling. "There is one thing—please…If my memories are erased…will you still be my friend?" she asked hopefully, trying to find a bright side. She truly wanted it. "Ack!"

Yuki turned back into human form just then. Tohru threw her head back and ran to the wall and stared at it, trying to recover.

"It seems it didn't take long to change back this time," Yuki said after he finished changing back into his clothes, laughing once, nervously.

"Sohma-Kun, your tie is crooked," Tohru told him after she turned back around.

"Eh? Oh…I'm terrible at this kind of thing." Yuki brought his hands up to fix it, but Tohru walked over and did it for him. '_If normal people knew your secret it would sicken them. They'd stay away…' _the thought kept running through his head. Yuki just had to ask. Tohru had just finished fixing his small white tie."Honda-San…you're not…sickened by me?" he asked cautiously.

Tohru, misunderstanding the question, said cheerfully, "Nope! I feel fine!"

_Huh…?_ Yuki thought. She thought he asked if she was feeling sick. "…Hey. Do you want to…walk home together?" he asked her.

"Okay!" she agreed in the same cheerful tone. They'd already missed half of the last class. "Let's go home!"

'_Please…will you still be my friend?'_ Tohru had asked before. Yuki never got a chance to answer, although he knew it. "Thank you," he told her when they were about halfway home.

"Anytime!" She held a fist in the air. "I'm good at tying neckties." He knew that's not exactly what he'd meant, but he still smiled.

A few minutes later, they were home and they walked into the house. "It looks like Shigure's not back yet," Yuki noticed.

Tohru nodded and told him, "I'm going to go put my things upstairs." She smiled and walked upstairs and into her room, which was still unfurnished. "Oh…" she trailed off. Kyo was standing halfway up a ladder. He was fixing the ceiling for her. He finished up, and went down the ladder. Tohru froze in the doorway, amazed at the good job he'd done. Actually, more amazed that he actually took the time to fix it for her.

"It's just a patch job," he said quietly. He looked up at the plastic covering the hole and continued. "That should keep the rain out. Call a pro if you don't like it." He looked at her, then turned away and looked at the roll of tape that he was holding.

"O—okay," she stuttered. _So I've finally met the cat, _she thought sadly. _Too bad he hates me. _She looked at the floor.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted.

Tohru stiffened. "Y-yes..?" Tohru asked, startled. He still had his back to her. He held the tape roll tighter.

"When I get mad…I get in a rage—I can't see what's around me." He put his free hand on his hip. "My training wasn't enough. I still lost to that damn Yuki. So that's why…this morning," he stopped there, trying to think. "…This morning!" He held the roll of tape so tight that he warped it. "I'm sorr—"

"I'm home!" they heard Shigure shout from downstairs. "Yuki-Kun, Tohru-Kun, I'm home! And let's not forget stupid-clumsy-Kyo-Kun-who-lost-yet-another-fight!"

"Forget it!" Kyo yelled, starting to storm out of the room.

Tohru panicked at the way he yelled, and held her hands up. "But…?! Wha—?!" She looked down at the floor, defeated.

Later that day, Yuki and Shigure stood by the bookcase in the living room, and Tohru kneeled on the floor by them. Kyo was sitting cross-legged 20 feet away, not really caring.

"Good news," Shigure stated. "As long as she keeps our secret, Tohru-Kun can stay."

"I won't be punished?" Tohru asked. Yuki said nothing with his arms crossed tightly.

"Punished?! No. But you absolutely _must _keep our secret. 'Kay?"

"Okay!" Tohru replied happily. She jumped to her feet with a smile, and clasped her hands. _I won't lose my memories! _

"There is one more thing—" Shigure continued. "He wants _Kyo-Kun _to stay here too." Kyo's head snapped up. He looked over his shoulder at him.

"What?! I have to live under the same roof as that damn Yuki?!" he asked, clearly furious.

"Don't blame me; Akito-San's word is the law."

Kyo jumped to his feet and clenched his fists. "You've got to be kidding me! Dammit, Akito!" he yelled.

"He's trying to collar that stupid cat," said Yuki. "I knew there'd be a catch." He paused and glared at Shigure. "But to involve Tohru…You and Akito…aren't _scheming_ anything, are you?"

There was a long silence from Shigure. '_I'll trust this Tohru-San. This may even prove fortuitous for Yuki and Kyo…and for me,' _Akito had told him, holding a small bird on his finger. He'd laughed. '_Yuki does have good instincts, but still…proceed with caution.'_ Shigure was silent, and had smiled at him.

Everyone was still waiting for an answer. Yuki walked up to him and stared him in the face. Shigure smiled nervously. "Nooo…don't be silly! Really, Yuki-Kun. You must learn to be more trusting of people—"

"Excuse me," Tohru interrupted. Yuki and Shigure looked at her. Tohru put her hands down in front of her. "Um…it's strange to say this again, but…I am at your mercy. Thank you once again for taking care of me."

Yuki stared at her for a second, and then grabbed his shoulder. "Yeah…our mercy…" he mumbled.

Tohru walked to the other side of the room and stood over Kyo from behind. "I am in debt to you, too, Kyo-San," she said. He looked over his shoulder angrily.

"Why should I be nice to anyone in this—!!" Yuki ran in front of Tohru and kicked him in the stomach. He went flying through the _new _door. Kyo finished, yelling, "…house?!" while crashing through. Shigure stood and listened to the arguing that followed.

"I just fixed this door!"

"Fix it again."

"Ah!" Tohru tried.

"Maybe I will!"

"We gave away your room," Yuki informed.

"Uh…!"she tried again to interrupt.

"What?! Aaah!!"

And that's how, the ordinary girl, Tohru Honda, was taken into the care of the Sohma family.

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**A/N: Review please! Chapter three soon. :3**


	3. Chapter Three

**A/N: Chapter three. Kyo's first day at Kiabara High... :O**

**Disclaimer: No, I don't own Fruits Basket.**

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The next evening, Yuki walked into the kitchen, which he could actually do now. "Wow…" His eyes widened as he looked around. He couldn't even recognize it. "You've worked wonders on this kitchen!" he said while walking over to her.

"I did my best," Tohru said, wiping her forehead. She smiled. "Dinner is ready!" Yuki stood next to the counter that she had been cooking at. He stared at what was on it.

"We have a rice cooker?" he asked.

"I un-earthed it!" Tohru said proudly. She was actually still trying to get used to the situation. It was decided that she would live with Shigure, Yuki, and now, Kyo. They provide her room, and board…and in return, all the housework is left up to her. _I feel like I owe them so much! _she thought, serving dinner for her, Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure. Shigure and Kyo were out somewhere, but she set out plates for them just in case. She asked Yuki to try it first, and tell her if he liked it.

Yuki tried a small bite, not completely sure. "Yeah…this is good," he said as he looked up.

"Really? It's not too bland?" she asked.

"No, it's perfect," he said, smiling at her. "It's been a long time since I've had food like this," he told her. Before Tohru, he and Shigure have been basically _living _off of take-out.

_Thank goodness, _thought Tohru, smiling, no longer nervously.

"Anyway, I wonder where Shigure and that stupid cat went."

"That's right." Tohru had forgotten to tell Yuki. "They left really early, but it's getting late."

"Not that I care," Yuki said coldly. "But it would be a shame for the food you made to get cold," he said, taking another bite. Tohru smiled, and began to eat, too.

_Mom, _Tohru usually told her mom about her life after she died, _this is kind of strange. I'm eating dinner with Sohma-Kun…who transforms into the rat from the zodiac legend. It's like a fairy tale. _"You went out earlier, too, didn't you, Sohma-Kun?" Tohru asked. "Were you shopping?" she guessed.

"Oh, I was in the backyard." Yuki told her. "…in my secret base."

"Secret base?!" Tohru repeated. "That sounds exciting!" Tohru was drawing out her own little picture in her head of what it might look like. There was a secret control room, secret door, secret window, and everything secret! There was even a secret cannon on the roof, in her mind.

"It's not what you think," Yuki told her. Her smile dropped a bit. "But if you want, I'll show it to you next time," he promised. Tohru went into major excitement mode.

"Really? Are you sure?! I—I'm so happy! A secret base!" Tohru said. Yuki watched her, smiling, barely noticing what she told him next. "I knew of one when I was little, but girls weren't allowed. I can't wait!"

_SLAM! _"SHUT UP!" Kyo shouted. He nearly broke the door again, the way he pushed it open. Tohru and Yuki sat silent, eyes wide.

"Just listen to me for a second, Kyo," Shigure begged. He begged in a more serious way, but still, he was really pleading. Unusually, he was wearing a black suit and tie, and his hair was gelled back.

"I hate this!" Kyo yelled in reply. "Do you really get that much enjoyment from playing with people's lives?!" he asked, half serious, half sarcastic. Kyo started to storm outside to the deck to go onto the roof again, and Shigure chased behind him.

"Well, yes, now that you mention it, I do," Shigure admitted,"—but this is for your own good!"

"Man, your persuasive skills suck!" Kyo shot back, finally getting to the door.

Tohru was watching them the whole time. "Um, welcome home. Dinner's—"

"Not hungry!" Kyo shouted to her. He stepped through the door and slammed it. Tohru just sat in shock. Oh, how she hated angry yelling…

"Kyo! Don't take this out on Tohru-Kun!" Shigure ordered. He started to take off his shoes. "And come back to the entrance hall this instant and take those shoes off!" He had no right to talk, considering he had just taken his shoes off in the dining room.

"He's right, Shigure. You really do suck at persuasion," Yuki said to him.

Tohru just smiled up at Shigure. "This is the first time I've seen you in a suit! You look so nice…!" she complimented.

Shigure smiled and struck a pose with his hand in an 'L' shape under his chin and asked, "Really? Do you think so?"

"You look like a talk show host," Yuki told him, starting to eat again.

Shigure looked down at the table while removing his jacket. "Ah! Dinner's ready," he noticed, smiling.

"Uh, um," Tohru started to say. "Why is Kyo-San…?" she asked, stopping at that point.

"Oh, that," Shigure said. "It's best to leave grumpy-puss alone," he warned in a sort of playful tone. "I tricked him into taking the entrance exam," he added.

Tohru tilted her head in confusion, and smiled nervously, not knowing what the exam was for. "…Entrance exam?"

"Starting tomorrow, Kyo-Kun," Shigure said, now sitting down. "…will be attending the same high school as you two!" he said excitedly. There was a long, long silence.

Tohru widened her eyes, and Yuki jumped to his feet. Yuki stood right over Shigure and glared down at him. "Don't eat. Don't come near me. Don't ever speak to me again," Yuki commanded in a _very_ angry tone.

"Yes, well, I thought you'd be mad, and I was right," Shigure said quietly. He put his elbow on the table and rested his head on his hand. "Last time Kyo took the test…he didn't attend the local boys' high school, even though he passed. Instead, he went missing for four months," he explained. "Neither Yuki-Kun, nor I, nor anybody else knew where he went. Today he finally told me." He paused. "He'd been training in the mountains."

Tohru was collecting her and Yuki's dishes, and was giving them to Yuki to take into the kitchen while she cleaned up Kyo's. "Training?"

Yuki took the dishes and stood there for a moment. "Like sitting under a waterfall and wrestling bears?" he asked teasingly. "That kind of training?"

"Hmm…well, something like that…I guess," Shigure wasn't completely sure.

"What is he going to do…with his training?" Tohru asked while Yuki put the dishes in the kitchen and came back.

"Kyo wants to beat Yuki-Kun in a fight. Ever since they were little, he's been Kyo's rival," Shigure explained.

"That idiot," Yuki said harshly, looking down and closing his eyes, annoyed.

Tohru thought a little more about the situation. So, Kyo wants to beat Yuki so bad, that he went off to the mountains to train for it. Tohru wondered, _Is it because he holds a grudge about being tricked, like in the story? I feel like it would be wrong to ask Kyo-San. _She looked down. _Anyway, I think Kyo-San hates me. It's kind of sad, _Tohru admitted to herself. _I finally met the cat from the zodiac…_



The next day at school, when Tohru walked into class, Kyo was surrounded. "Where?! Where is he?!" a girl in the class asked.

"Look, over there! The guy with the orange hair," Minami Kinoshita said.

"Huh?" the first asked. "They don't look alike at all!" she laughed.

"He's cute!"

"Is that his natural color?" Minami asked.

"Hey, are you really Sohma-Kun's cousin?"

"Do you guys get along?"

Tohru was still near the doorway, standing with Uo and Hana. Hana was curling Tohru's hair for her. Hana released the top of the iron's handle and Tohru felt a lock of her hair fall. Hana took another few strands. Tohru was watching Kyo, almost intently. Kyo sat stiffly in his seat, with an annoyed look on his face that made Tohru worry. Inside, his mind was spinning. He was being completely silent. He thought if he didn't give in, they'd leave. _He's getting scared…_Tohru thought to herself.

Yuki was sitting down at a table, talking to a friend of his. "Yuki-Kun!" a student said happily, walking up behind his chair. Yuki sat straight, and looked over his shoulder a little bit, showing that she had his attention. "Is it true your cousin just transferred here?" she asked. "Introduce us!"

He smiled at her and said, "I'm sorry, Senpai. He is my cousin, but we're not close." Then he added, "I don't even speak to him."

"His hair certainly is interesting," she commented.

Tohru was staring at Yuki. _That smile…_

"It's a little like Kyoko-San's hair color," Uo said, coming back from the other side of the room where Kyo was.

Tohru smiled. "Now that you mention it, it is!"

"They're the same," Hana said. She finished a curl in Tohru's hair and spoke again. "The same, the very same…" She looked like she was in deep thought and concentration. Tohru and Uo could both tell she wasn't talking about his hair color. "I feel the same waves from him as I do from Yuki Sohma. These waves I sense from them…what do they mean?" she asked herself. "So different from the others…almost inhuman…" she trailed off, as always, no emotions showed.

"Hey that's rude," Uo commented. Tohru was on the edge of a panic attack. She couldn't let them find out.

Hanajima is very powerful to sense things that no one else can. Tohru never really ever understood her wave reports, though.

Kyo jumped up from his seat and headed for the door. He'd had enough of this madness. A girl went after him and called, "Sohma-Kun!" She walked up behind him and grabbed his arm. "Hey, where are you going? Let's talk!"

Kyo noticed that she was dangerously close. Kyo couldn't let her get that close. He grabbed her wrist and slammed her onto the floor, pinning her down by her shoulder. "Kuaaah!" she screamed. "OW! That hurts!"

"Kyo!" Tohru shouted, going into a panic for the girl.

"Sohma-Kun, what's wrong?" somebody asked. "Just…c_hill_ okay?!"

"Let go!" the girl he was pinning to the floor screamed at the top of her lungs.

Kyo jumped up and ran back to the other side of the room. "Leave me alone!" he shouted. Kyo then jumped out of the window.

"EEEK! Stop! This is the second floor!" Minami shouted as he was falling.

He landed on his feet and started running. "Amazing! Did you see that?! Just like Sohma-Kun's cousin to be special!"

"Special?! He's a freak! This is the second floor!"

"Oooooh! How _dare _he pick on a girl!"

Yuki said nothing. He hated being involved in anything that was involved with Kyo. Even that they just mentioned his name once.

"Kyo-San…" Tohru muttered quietly, not following what just happened. She didn't know that he landed and ran.

"Interesting guy!" Uo cracked up. "Ha ha! It's not every day you see a guy jump out of a second story window!"

Yuki left to go find Kyo. He was sitting on a step in front of a door that led to the back of the school. Kyo was panting from all the running. Yuki stared down at him, annoyed, with his arms crossed."Hey. Use your head will you?" he suggested smartly. "If you act like an idiot, it causes problems for me."

"Are you insane?" Kyo asked without looking up, equally annoyed. "Why do _you_ go to a school that's crawling with girls?" he asked.

"Because it's better than hiding in fear every day, and going to an all boys' school on Akito's orders," Yuki replied. He turned his head, calming. "I want out of the Sohma cage, even just a little. I can't understand why you want so badly to live in that cage."

"You…A _rat _would never understand!" Kyo shot back, growing angrier, opposite from Yuki's direction.

Tohru, who had been looking for them, walked around the corner and saw. "Ah! There they are," she said quietly to herself. She hesitated to walk over.

Just then, Kyo jumped to his feet. "This time, I _will _beat you! I'll beat you and become one of the zodiac!" Kyo declared. Tohru widened her eyes. "I won't be shunned by the Sohma family any longer!"

Tohru processed that. _One of the zodiac…Become one of the zodiac?_

Kyo walked over to Yuki and grabbed his shirt collar. "I _will _beat you!"

Tohru ran over to them and tried to stop Kyo. "No!" she shouted. _You mustn't! _She made Kyo transform purposely, so he couldn't fight. She put him on the ground and blushed crimson. "I know you're angry…" she started shaky. "…but you can't keep fighting. People get in trouble for fighting at school…"

"WOULD YOU SHUT UP?!" Tohru flinched. "I don't care if I get in trouble, as long as I beat Yuki! Stay out of my way! What's with you?!" Kyo shouted, arching his back, and his tail sticking straight up.

"Kyo…" Yuki warned.

"I can't even stand to look at you!" Kyo shouted at Tohru. She stared in shock for a moment. Kyo froze too, knowing he didn't really mean it. He mentally cursed himself. But Tohru didn't know that. Tohru slowly stood up and left with her hands clasped in front of her, blushing. She mentally punished herself, too, for trying to interfere. He reached a paw out, still mad at himself. Tohru didn't look back. _His maximum fury! _She knew for sure. _He hates me, he totally hates me!_

"You know…you really are an idiot," Yuki said to Kyo while turning away.

"You're not gonna hit me?" Kyo asked, pulling his shirt towards him so he could be ready to change back in a few minutes.

"Sometimes it hurts more not to." Yuki walked away.



Tohru was sitting down in the hallway under a metal box containing a fire extinguisher…thinking. _When I said that I didn't want to be a dog anymore, and that I wanted to be a cat, I meant it. I really was crying. When God and the twelve animals were enjoying the banquet on the far off mountain, the cat was dreaming of a banquet the next day that would never happen, _Tohru thought sadly. _Poor thing—unaware of the deceit. I liked him so much that if there was a Year of the Cat fan club, I would have joined. But he hates me. _She looked down. _What should I do now?_ she asked herself. Yuki walked in, but paused when he saw her.

Uo and Hana were coming down the hall. "I'm picking up Tohru's waves," Hana told Uo, pointing to Tohru.

"Ah, there she is," said Uo. "What are you doing there? Class is about to—"

Tohru went up, hitting her head on the metal box. She did it purposely to make them think that it was why she was crying. "Ow! It hurt so much I started crying. No, really, just now…the corner…ouch!" she lied. She put her hand on the top of her head for effect, even thought it did hurt.

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you ran into it on purpose," Uo said.

"Now, now, don't spoil her cover-up," said Hana. Neither of them were buying it.

Yuki watched, and he could guess why Tohru was crying.



Back at the house, Shigure was writing and talking to Kyo, who was lying on the floor of the deck. He decided to skip school for the rest of the day. "And? You cut your first day of class?" Shigure asked him for reason. "Let me guess. You tried to fight Yuki-Kun and lost. Again."

"I…I want to leave this house," Kyo said, staring at the bracelet on his hand. He never takes it off.

"It's only the third day, think of it more as training," Shigure suggested.

"I only ever say…mean things…to her," Kyo admitted to him. Shigure stopped writing and looked at him from his desk.

"Her…? You mean Tohru-Kun?" he asked. "Heh. So you were in your usual good mood today? If you're going to beat yourself up about it afterward, perhaps you should consider not yelling at her in the first place, hmm? Just a thought."

A minute passed. "I can't help it," Kyo told him. "I'm not…made to interact with people."

"People aren't born social," Shigure told him. "Sure it comes easier for some people…but most people, like you, need to work at it. Some more than others. You're just inexperienced. For example, as a martial artist, you have the strength to break the table with your fist. But you also have the _self-control _to stop your fist right before it hits the table. You weren't born with that control, were you?" he asked. "You had to refine it. That's the result of fighting bears in the mountains."

"I didn't fight bears!" Kyo shouted, turning his head from the yard to him. He rolled onto his back and looked at the sky.

"You're missing the point," Shigure continued. "It's the same as interacting with people. But training for that isn't in the mountains—it has to be in town where people live," he said. "Mingling with people, hurting people, getting hurt by a person…that's how you learn about others, and about yourself," he told him. It was silent again. "If you don't you'll never be able to care about anyone but yourself. You may be a black belt fighter, but you're still a white belt in dealing with people. For the sake of the girl who will one day say that she loves you…don't run away. Keep training."

Kyo took a moment to come up with a clever response. "As if someone would ever tell me that."

"And if someone did, what would you do?"

Silence. Kyo rolled back onto his side. "I can't even imagine. I guess…I'd ask her if she was sane," he said, unusually calm.

"Oh really," Shigure laughed.

Yuki walked into the room. "I'm home," he announced boringly.

"Welcome back. Where's Tohru-Kun?" Shigure asked.

"Work. She said that dinner's made, and we just have to warm it up," Yuki informed. "She gets off around eleven, so I think I'll go ahead and walk her home," he added.

"Ah, yes. Good idea," Shigure agreed. "What with all of us _perverts _creeping around at night."



_What a long day…_Tohru thought as she walked home through the forest that night, alone. _I wonder if everyone's asleep. _She paused her thoughts. _I wonder if Kyo-Kun skipped dinner again…_ Kyo-Kun. _Is he still mad? Did he leave the house…?_ She held her book bag up to her face and her eyes started to sting. _What should I do mom? _

'_Tohru. You should be yourself.' _

"Okay. Okay mom," Tohru thought out loud. _I won't let it get to me._

There were footsteps behind Tohru now, and the trees rustled. _Wh—what was that? Oh, no…Could it be one of those creeps they warned me about? A pervert?! _"NO!!" she screamed. She swung her book bag around in a circle and hit something. She looked over, eyes wide, and saw that she had just hit...Kyo. His eyes were wide, too, staring straight ahead, and then at her. They both yelled at themselves.

_How do I explain that I mistook him for a pervert?! I just screamed "NO!!" at him and…_

_"NO!!" he repeated. Man, she must really hate me. Was it something I said?_

Tohru realized that her bag was still pressed on his face, and she brought it down. "Uh—um, uh—um, ah, I just hit you with my bag…but I guess you know that," Tohru stumbled over her words. There wasn't much that she could say. "But enough about me, were you taking a walk, Kyo-San?" she asked. He turned away from her. "Uh, um, how did you…like school, Kyo-San…?"

"Stop it." She froze instantly at his calm but forceful words. "Being called 'San' makes me twitch. Just call me Kyo."

"Kyo-Kun…" she said blankly, trying out the 'Kun' instead of 'San'.

"What?" he automatically responded to his name.

"Nothing! I just wanted to try it."

"Don't call my name if you've got nothing to say!" Kyo yelled in her face.

Tohru jumped. "Okay!!"

"Oh…never mind," Kyo said. He put his face in one hand and held up the other to her. "It's okay. You can call my name even if you _don't _have anything to say," he allowed. "And…I take back what I said about not wanting to look at you. And if I do something to piss you off…you can hit me," he promised.

Tohru widened her eyes and brought her free hand to her mouth in a fist, biting her thumb nail. _Is he…trying to apologize for today?_ She wondered. _Is that why he's here? _She gasped as she remembered the day when she found him fixing the hole in her bedroom ceiling. _And back then…maybe he was trying to apologize for hurting me, _she thought.

Then she remembered that she hadn't replied yet. "Uh, um…oh—I wasn't mad. I hit you with my bag because I thought you were a pervert!"

Kyo froze. "P—a pervert?!"

She clutched her book bag, regretting her low ability to keep her mouth shut. "I mean, I'd never be mad at you. How could I be? I _love _you. I've _always _loved the cat from the zodiac!" she admitted.

His heart stopped. "Huh?" was all that Kyo could manage. She leaned towards him, making him lean back.

"It's true. I…wanted to be born in the year of the cat." She paused, and Kyo just looked at her. "I mean, um, I…I mean I want to be friends!"

Kyo remembered earlier. _'And if someone did, what would you do? If a girl told you…she loved you.' _He remembered how to breathe.

"That's stu—" he almost made that mistake again. "It's not that great," he said. "Being a cat." Tohru was silent. "Let's just go home," Kyo said quietly.

Tohru was in deep thought on the way home, barely aware of anything around her, except that Kyo was with her. _Somehow…I've started to understand Kyo-Kun. He's more awkward than most…but deep down, he's a nice person. Someone sincere who speaks from the heart._ She smiled to herself. _A good person._

The next morning at breakfast, Shigure was the one who started up the conversation. "So, Kyo-Kun…" he started with a strangely perverted look. "I hear you walked our little Tohru home. How was your _date_?" Kyo grumbled and glared at him, but Tohru and Yuki just froze. Yuki glared as Kyo did, but annoyed. "Kyo-Kun and Tohru, sitting in a tree, K...I...S…—"

"Stop that! It wasn't like that!" Kyo yelled across the table, cheeks blazing. "Yesterday was a fluke. It won't happen again! Ever!"

"Okay!" Tohru said, laughing. "I'm just happy you're eating my food. Do you like it?" she asked cheerfully.

"Huh? Uh…" He looked down. He looked back up after a moment. "It's—" he almost started, but he saw Yuki, staring…at…him…"What?!"

"Nothing."

"Will you quit staring at me?!"

"I was just looking."

"Well, cut it out!!" Kyo shouted loudly again.

"Do you like it?" Tohru tried again.

Kyo misunderstood the question, because now he was on the subject of the staring. "It sucks!" he shouted, looking straight at her. Everybody stopped. Even Yuki, who was in mid-sip of his drink.

"I—it's okay. I timed that poorly," Kyo stuttered.

_He…makes me sick, _Yuki thought.

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**A/N: R&R is always appreciated. :D **


	4. Chapter Four

**A/N: Chapter four! New zodiac coming up soon...**

**Disclaimer: Me? Own Fruits Basket? No...**

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"Autumn has arrived…so let's all play cards!" Tohru suggested during free period. "Dai Hin Min would be perfect!"

"What does Dai Hin Min have to do with autumn?" Kyo asked, lounging in a chair against its desk.

"It's really popular right now!" Tohru told him, letting Hanajima play with her hair.

"So it has nothing to do with autumn?" Kyo confirmed. It was silent. "Go ask that damn Yuki to play."

"Sohma-Kun's not here," Tohru said.

"Like I care."

"You really are out of the loop, aren't you?" Uotani noticed. "And probably dumb, too. Oh well, I was looking forward to creaming you," she said. Kyo twitched. "But if you're going to run away like a coward, I guess I'll just have to—"

"Fine. I accept your challenge!" Kyo said, jumping to his feet. "Just don't start crying when you lose, Yankee," he taunted.

"Like I would!" Uo shouted. She had to come up with something fast to add. "Loser does all of the cleaning," Uotani decided.

Hana put her fingertips to her temples. "Oh…what pleasant waves whirling around…"

Tohru smiled. "Let's invite Sohma-Kun to play next! I wonder where he went."



Yuki was talking to another girl in the hallway. "I'm sorry. I'm just not interested in going out with anyone right now," he apologized. The girl hung her head and got teary. "So I can't answer your—"

"No! I don't want to hear it!" She paused and took a step forward and tried to hug him. "Yuki-Kun…"

Yuki put his hands on both sides of her head to restrain her. She was just far away enough to not be able to wrap her arms around him. "No…um—I," Yuki tried to start saying something.

"Yuki-Kun, you're such a nice person—…but some part of you keeps rejecting other people." She backed away.

"Eh?"

"Everyone has noticed! They say 'Yuki-Kun is special'. I understand it wouldn't be _right_ to have a _normal _girl as your _girl_friend!" she shouted, irritated.

Yuki stared at her without a word. Because…she was…right. Some part of him…was rejecting people.



"Revolution!" Kyo said proudly. He sat back in the chair and smirked. He laid four eights on the table.

"Son of a…" Arisa started, "What kind of trick are you pulling? Rotten punk!" She leaned forward yelling at him.

"It's the damn rules!" Kyo yelled back, banging his fist on the table.

"When you play a 'revolution', the 'rich man' and 'poor man' trade places," Tohru told them, smiling.

"Secret technique…" Hanajima said quietly. "Counter Revolution." She held up four fours.

Everybody burst out in laughter. "She really got you, Sohma."

"That was great Hanajima-San."

"Man, you suck."

"Hey! I'm just learning!"

Yuki was standing in the doorway watching the game. Everybody was together laughing and chatting. They were happy. Kyo hung his head in defeat. Tohru was smiling…They were all there, and he wasn't. _'Yuki-Kun…You're rejecting other people.' _Yuki walked away.

After school, Tohru told Yuki about the Dai Hin Min game. "Dai Hin Min," Yuki repeated. "I know the rules, but I've never played it."

"Uo-Chan taught me how to play! You should play with us next time!" Tohru suggested with a great smile.

"So," Yuki looked over to Kyo, who was sweeping the floor of the classroom. "Looks like Kyo was the 'poor man' this time."

"Here, let me help you with that, Kyo-Kun," Tohru offered.

"No," Kyo declined. "A loss is a loss. Next time _I'll _win." He pointed at Yuki in the face and added, "Of course, I'll beat _you _too!"

"Don't you ever get tired of saying that?" Yuki asked him.

"Beating you is my vocation! It's my goal in life!"

"It's so unfair that I keep having to take abuse just because you can't meet your goals."

"That condescending attitude of yours really pisses me off!!" Kyo yelled in his face again.

"And that revolting thought process of yours pisses me off."

_Th-they're fighting again…_Tohru thought. _This goes deeper than the cat and rat…Oh. Come to think of it…_She remembered the day when Kyo and Yuki were arguing behind the school. _'I will beat you! I'll beat you and become one of the zodiac!' _Kyo had said. _Does that really mean…that if Kyo-Kun can beat Sohma-Kun then he can join the zodiac? _she wondered. She put her finger to her forehead. _So…the cat could be a part of the Chinese zodiac after all? _Tohru smiled. _I don't know exactly how that would work…but that would be wonderful for the cat!_

"You bastard!" Kyo yelled in Yuki's face. "I'll take you down!"

_But fighting is bad, I'm sure of that. _"Um, Kyo-Kun—"

"Say your prayers, heartless rat!" Kyo was about to kick him, aiming straight for Yuki's head. Yuki easily dodged it, and Kyo's eyes widened. He didn't know how he could have missed. Yuki glared at him and bent down, and his foot shot up, striking him in the face. Kyo fell back to the floor with a _SLAM!_ He landed part on his back, but mostly on his head.

Tohru squeezed her eyes shut and looked down. She couldn't see anymore of this if it wasn't finished.

"You know…I'm really getting sick of looking at you," Yuki said to Kyo, ice cold entwined with each word. Yuki walked out of the room.

"Ah…So—Sohma-Kun…"

"Gah! Why can't I beat him?" Kyo asked himself, rubbing his head where it hit. It was silent for a minute. Kyo leaned against the wall, still sitting on the floor.

"Kyo-Kun, did you bite your tongue…?"

He stood up. "As _if _I'd be that stupid. I'm fine, just go. Leave me alone." His eyes widened. He shot a hand up. "Ah…no…I mean….Why…do you…?" He sighed. "I must seem so pathetic. I keep getting beaten."

"Eh?"

"Nothing. Anyway, shouldn't you be leaving? You have work today," Kyo reminded. He leaned on the window but pulled back. "Ow! He went pretty hard on me today. Must be in a bad mood," he guessed.

_'I'm really getting sick of looking at you.'_

At work, Tohru stopped to think. _Sohma-Kun…is so sensitive about what other people think about him. He must keep all his feelings locked up inside him._

"Good work!" another custodian complimented Tohru on her daily progress.

"Hey, over here, Tanigawa-San," another custodian asked the first. "Look at that beautiful person over there. I can't tell if it's a girl or a boy."

"Oh, you're such a gawker!" The both slightly leaned out the door.

Tohru overheard. _Could it…be…? _She quickly got out of her work clothes and back into her school ones. She rushed outside. "Sohma-Kun!" she greeted, walking toward him. He was leaning on a railing of some sort.

Yuki looked up. "Hey…you must be tired," he assumed.

"Y-you came all the way here to pick me up?!"

"Yeah…it's dangerous for a girl to be out alone at this time of night," he reasoned.

Tohru pulled her bag to her chest. "Thank you…so much. You and Kyo-Kun are so kind!" He smiled at her.

"Shall we go?" he asked, starting home.

"Sohma-Kun!" Tohru started to walk over to him. "Um, if there's ever…something weighing on your mind, you can talk to me, okay?"

"Huh?" Yuki looked back, and saw someone walking over to Tohru. The guy behind her pushed her on the back causing her to fall into him. Causing him to transform.

"Stop flirting and go home, you kids!" he shouted. At least he and his friend walked away, even laughing, before Yuki transformed. They assumed that the boom was them falling onto the concrete.

Tohru kneeled down to him and hung her head. "I'm a pretty good listener," Tohru continued her last thought. "But then, I'll probably just make your problems worse…" she said sadly.

"No, it's my fault for having this 'condition'."

After a minute or two of walking, Tohru holding Yuki's clothes for him, Yuki started up a conversation. "When I was at the main house, it felt like I was in a cage, always being watched by the family and Akito. I always wanted to have a _normal_ life and live with _normal _people. So I applied to a co-ed school and left home. But I couldn't get out of that cage after all," he said sadly. "I just wound up in another Sohma house. And I still can't associate with_ normal_ people."

"I don't mean to turn them away," Yuki said, disappointed in himself. "But some part of me can't deal with people." He paused and they walked in silence for a while. "I cut myself off from other people…because I'm afraid of getting hurt. And…" He stopped walking and looked at his tiny little hands. "…because I'm like this."

_The hesitation and fear won't go away, _Yuki realized. "But Kyo is different. He might be extremely shy, but if he gets used to being around people, I think he's the type that attracts others…That has many friends," he said. "Even if he can't join the zodiac…he might be able to interact with _normal_ people and have a _normal _life. That's why… " he trailed off. _I've always…_ "That's why I get annoyed. When I look at Kyo who _wants _to be a Sohma." _…wished I could be like that too. _

"What does that make me, who wants to run away from it all? I wonder," Yuki said. Tohru looked down at him with only sympathy.

Tohru decided to speak. "You have the power to attract people, too, Sohma-Kun. Lots of girls like you. They say you're very kind." Yuki stopped walking and so did she.

"I'm only being nice because…I want people to like me," Yuki admitted. "It's the same as giving someone candy because you want to buy their friendship." He looked down. "My being nice is entirely selfish. Maybe I'm a hypocrite."

"Soh—!!" Tohru was cut off by a change in the weather. It started to pour rain. Her voice came out nervous. "Th—this is sudden! The weather report didn't say anything about—" _BOOM!_

Tohru almost mistook it for lightning until she noticed the smoke. Tohru knew what just happed so she turned away, facing the opposite direction of Yuki. "This is awkward…" Yuki said slowly. Tohru hadn't handed him his clothes, yet. And they were in the middle of the sidewalk. Realizing this, Tohru held out his clothes for him.



Tohru and Yuki walked into the living room soaking wet. Shigure was sitting down watching the news, and drinking a cup of tea. "Shigure! Are they doing the weather report?" Yuki asked urgently.

"Welcome back," Shigure greeted, "I just saw it, a typhoon and flash floods." He looked over. "You're drenched."

Tohru walked over with a towel now on her head. "A typhoon? That's out of season," she said, surprised. Yuki was frozen.

"The last outburst of a waning summer—" Yuki darted forward and pushed Shigure aside, cutting him off.

"You're in the way!" Yuki almost shouted at him.

"And here, I was waxing poetic," Shigure mumbled.

Yuki rushed outside and into the backyard. "Sohma-Kun? Where are you going?" Tohru asked. Tohru rushed outside after him, and found him walking towards something, carrying a tarp. "Sohma-Kun!" The rain poured sideways from the wind.

"Honda-San! It's dangerous!" Yuki warned.

"I'm okay! I've held fort in a tent during worse nights than this, remember?"

"It's a wonder you even survived." He grabbed Tohru's wrist and rushed her towards the forest behind the house. They went over the hill and down the path. The same hill that Tohru was walking on when she first spotted the house, when she lived in a tent. After almost a minute, they stopped.

"Sohma-Kun, is something wrong?" Tohru asked, still wondering where they were going and why. She looked down and saw half-grown vegetables. "A farm?" she guessed.

"A vegetable garden, actually."

Tohru's eyes grew wide and she stared at him in amazement. "Sohma-Kun you did this?!" she asked him.

"Yes," Yuki replied, smiling over at her. "This is my secret base."

"It's wonderful!" Tohru gasped, clasping her hands. "I get it! You came here to protect your base from the typhoon!" she stated, finally coming to realization. It wasn't that hard to figure out. "Please, let me help!" Yuki set the tarp over the small garden and held it down.

He sighed, unsure. "You're very kind, Honda-San…" Yuki trailed off.

"Huh?" Tohru smiled. Then her eyes went wide and she gasped. "Eh…eehh?! But….! That's the first time anyone's ever told me that!"She started to flail her arm that wasn't holding the tarp. "I'm so happy! Oh…but—but—," Tohru stuttered. "How do I be sure that I'm not just a_cting _kind so that people will think I'm a good person?!"

_No, with Honda-San, it's genuine, _Yuki knew for sure. He picked up a nail and hammer to start nailing down his side of the tarp.

"Mom told me that it's better to trust people than to doubt them," Tohru told him, smiling. "She said that people aren't born with kind hearts. When we're born, all we have are desires for food and material things. Selfish instincts, I guess." Yuki was watching her, listening to every word. She tilted her head and continued to smile. "But she said that kindness is something that grows inside of every person's body, but it's up to us to nurture that kindness in our hearts. That's why kindness is different for every person," Tohru explained.

Tohru remembered the day clearly. Her mother and her were standing in front of her father's grave. _'We're all born with selfish desires,' _Kyoko told her. _'so we can all relate to those feelings in others. But kindness is something that is made individually by every person,' _her mother explained. _'…so it's easy to misunderstand when someone is trying to be kind to you. But Tohru…'_

"Mom taught me that people's differences are something to celebrate," Tohru continued further. "When I thought about all the shapes of human kindness—imagining them as round or square…I got really excited." She paused. "Your kindness is like a candle, Sohma-Kun," she thought. Yuki looked up at her, in a daze. "I can feel it light up…" She took her hands up and motioned something lighting. "…and I just want to smile. It's that kind of kindness," she practically spilled her thoughts. She smiled, closing her brown eyes.

Tohru snapped her eyes open, and looked at Yuki apologetically. "Am I being too weird for you now?" she asked cautiously.

Yuki snapped out of his daze and held up his hand. He was extremely surprised. "Ah…no!" he assured. "No…" he said. "I just feel so…" What was the word he was looking for… "_pathetic _for whining to you like that," he finished.

"Don't!" Tohru replied quickly. "I'm happy that you opened up to me," she said truthfully. Her hands were on her lap now. "When you tell me about yourself, Sohma-Kun...I feel like we can really be friends," she told him. Yuki looked down, and his silver-grey hair covered his eyes. He hammered another nail, and said nothing. "I'm sorry," Tohru apologized, "I'm being rude…"

"No," Yuki disagreed, "not at—" The tarp, which Tohru hadn't been holding, flew up and into her face. "…all…"

Tohru forced the tarp back down and automatically apologized, "I'm sorry! I'll keep protecting your base!" she promised. When Yuki said nothing, Tohru, being sucked back into the memory, remembered what her mom had told her the same day at her father's grave. _'Tohru…believe in people. Doubting is easy—anyone can do it. Tohru, be someone who can believe,' _Kyoko had requested. Tohru continued to help as Yuki finished up. _'I'm sure _that_…will be your strength.'_

In a few more minutes, the storm ended. They took the tarp off and folded it up. "We protected it to the very end!" Tohru said happily, throwing her arms into the air.

They were both soaking wet, again. "Yes, but at what cost?" Yuki replied.

"Is anything ready to harvest?" Tohru asked him. He kneeled down to look. He inspected them carefully.

"The leeks may be ready," he told her.

"Leeks!" Tohru exclaimed. She turned away. _Leeks…leeks… _What were those?

"Honda-San," Yuki said slowly. "Hey, next time I think I'll try playing Dai Hin Min," he decided.

"Really?" Tohru gasped. "Of course…but didn't you say…"

"I did," Yuki replied before she could finish. "But you were all having so much fun. I felt a little ashamed. But…I'll do my best," he promised her. "Even if it's just a little at a time, I want to be able to get along well with others." Tohru smiled and brushed her hair out of her face.

"Hana-Chan and Uo-Chan are _really _great people! I'm proud to have them as my friends!" she told him. "I think you'll be really good at it, and I'm sure _they'd _welcome a challenge!"

Yuki hesitated, but smiled. "Okay," he said simply. He grinned and chuckled. "I won't lose!" he promised her. Tohru blushed, but she looked fairly surprised.

_For the first time..I feel like I'm seeing his true smile, _she thought. _If only he could smile like that at school one day. He'd be even more popular. _

Yuki interrupted her thoughts. "If we don't go home and dry off, we'll catch cold," he warned her, still smiling.



On Sunday night, when dinner was served, Kyo glared down at it. Tohru had made liver and leeks. "Are those…?" He growled at his plate. "I hate leeks!" Kyo shouted, shooting up to his feet.

Shigure looked up at him. "It's not only leeks," he informed. "You hate spring onions and miso, too, don't you?"

"Miso's _fine!_" Kyo shouted back. "As long as it's in soup, where it _belongs_!"

Tohru looked over apologetically. "I didn't realize… I'm sorry! I'll hurry and make you some soup!" she promised. She was about to stand up.

Yuki couldn't stand this argument and shouting over something like _leeks_. He set down his chopsticks and picked up Kyo's. He twirled them and grabbed Kyo's nose, squeezing it shut. "EAT IT." Yuki shoved the leeks into Kyo's mouth.

Tohru froze, staring at them in shock. _Maybe hostility is the only thing they share…_she guessed. Her expression softened. _Maybe there's something Kyo-Kun admires about Sohma-Kun, too? _she wondered. _Maybe if they could understand each other, they could be friends. _She could only _try _to imagine that.

In her thought, Kyo and Yuki's hands were held up in front of them both. Yuki smiled._'I misunderstood you, I'm sorry.' _Kyo was crying. _'Me too! Let's be friends from now on!'_

Tohru flung that out of her head. _On second thought…_

The doorbell rang. Shigure raised his eyebrows. "Oh? Who could that be?"

"Ah, I'll get it." She stood up and went towards the door. The doorbell rang again. Tohru slid open the paper door. "Come…in…" she said slowly, noticing that nobody was there. All that was there was a leaf that blew past the doorway. "Huh?" _They're gone... _she realized. _I wonder if they were in a hurry. _She turned around to go tell the others.

Tohru heard footsteps, and turned back. There was a girl about her age in a teal dress with shoulder length dark brown hair. She didn't look like she usually wore traditional clothes like Shigure or sometimes Yuki, Tohru noticed. She had an interesting backpack on, too…It kind of looked like…a cat? "Pl—pleased to meet you…You're Tohru Honda-San, aren't you?" she asked shyly. "Um…Um, I…I'm Kagura Sohma," she introduced herself. Her light gray eyes bored into Tohru's as Kagura asked what seemed to be a very important question to her.

Kagura took a step towards Tohru. "Is it true…that Kyo-Kun is here?"

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: YAAY Kagura is coming into the story! Be prepared for a lovingly violent chapter. **


	5. Chapter Five

**A/N: Okay, this chapter is a pretty good one, but near the end it gets to the sad part. D:**

**Disclaimer: I own NOTHING. **

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_Kagura…Sohma…San? _Tohru repeated in her mind. She tilted her head and smiled at Kagura. "Kyo-Kun is battling with leeks right now," she told her. "Um…" Tohru started to say something else, but Kagura gasped.

Kagura's eyes widened and got watery. "He…he came back! Kyo-Kun!" She ran through the doorway, and Tohru quickly stepped out of her way.

"Ah…um…!" Tohru watched her go to the dining room. _She's cute! Well, she _is _a Sohma… _Tohru widened her eyes and smiled excitedly. _Does that mean…Is she one of the zodiac?!_

In the kitchen, things weren't going well. "Cut that out!" Kyo shouted. He knocked the chopsticks out of Yuki's hands. Shigure caught them, looking up from his book. "If I said I'm not gonna eat leeks, I'm not gonna eat 'em!" he yelled. They glared at each other.

"If you have a problem with it, get out," Yuki ordered.

"You don't have to convince _me _to get out of this house!"

_They fight like a married couple…_Shigure compared. "Now, now…Yuki-Kun, Kyo-Kun," Shigure started. Kagura burst into the room. Yuki and Kyo jumped up.

"Kyo-Kun!" Kagura almost screamed.

Kyo's eyes widened. "Ka…Kagura?" he said slowly.

"Kyo-Kun," Kagura said again, crying. "Where did you go…for four months?" she asked him. Tohru walked through the door. "Why didn't you call…? I…I…missed…" Kagura smirked and her face became furious. Her grey eyes glared into Kyo's of amber. "I missed you!" she screamed at full volume. She punched Kyo right in the stomach, making him fly through the backdoor. Tohru stared in shock with her lips pressed shut. This didn't make sense to her. Shigure ducked his head, and Kagura jumped over him.

Kagura ran out to the yard where Kyo landed. "I—" She picked him up. "—was—" She started twirling him in the air. "—so worried about you!" she screamed. She laughed maniacally.

Yuki walked over to the, again, broken paper door. "Time to change the paper door again, Shigure." There was continuous screaming from Kagura outside.

"Why must everyone destroy our house?" Shigure asked. He was getting tired of it.

"Um…" Tohru mumbled. She was still very worried about the fighting. Kyo was getting hurt _very _badly, and Kagura was losing her mind. Not just her sane mind, her whole mind.

Shigure looked up. "Oh, don't worry. That's the way Kagura shows her love," he explained. "Like how little kids tease the ones they like. It's like that."

"Really?" Tohru asked. Her voice was quiet and nervous. "Um…but it seems like she's a different person," she said. She remembered how shy and quiet Kagura was just two minutes ago.

Yuki looked away from the yard and back to Tohru and Shigure. He smiled a little bit. "She gets like that. Especially when Kyo is involved. Still, she's two years older than we are." Then he more quietly added, "And…she's one of the zodiac." Shigure smiled, too.

Tohru beamed at them. "I knew it! Which animal is she?!" Tohru asked excitedly. Her hands were clasped to prevent her from flailing in excitement.

Shigure took a sip of his drink. "If you keep watching, I think you'll find out," he told Tohru.

Tohru turned to look out of the hole in the door. "I've figured out that Kyo-Kun looks like he's about to die!" Tohru said worriedly.

Shigure looked outside. "Oh dear," he muttered.

"Guh!" Kagura punched Kyo in the face…again. She looked down at him. His face was battered, and he was bleeding a little. Kagura widened her eyes, and her glare turned into a worried stare. In fact, Kyo was unconscious. "Kyo-Kun…? You're so hurt! Who did this?!" she squealed. She lifted him partly off the ground and hugged him. That caused Kyo to become conscious again. He glared into the distance, remembering. Kagura was crying. "Who would do such a thing?!"

Shigure, Yuki, and Tohru were standing on the porch. "You would," Shigure answered. Everyone stared at her.

They all went back inside and sat at the table with a snack. Kyo sat as far away from Kagura as possible. Kagura blushed, ashamed of what she did. She looked the edge of the table. "I'm sorry," she apologized again. "I was so touched at being able to see Kyo-Kun that I was happy with all my might!" she explained.

Nobody spoke for a moment. The table was near the newly broken door. "Anybody feel a draft?" Yuki finally asked. Tohru sneezed.

Shigure looked over at the door. "Bit nippy, isn't it?"

"I'm sorry!" Kagura apologized, yet again.

Tohru went into her thoughts again like she always did. _She's changed again. So she's one of the Chinese zodiac…I wonder which animal she is? _Shigure had told her that if she kept watching she'd figure it out.

Kagura added to her apology, "But it's Kyo-Kun's fault, too. Disappearing for four months without so much as a phone call!"

"Why the hell would I call you?" He was holding an ice pack to the side of his bruised face. He was facing away from her.

"Because we're going to be married," Kagura reminded him.

Kyo spun around. "When did you decide that?!" He was clearly annoyed at the maximum level.

Tohru's face lit up. "You're engaged?! That's wonderful!"

"That's so great that you found someone to be your wife," Yuki congratulated with a blank face, showing he didn't _really _care.

"Congratulations," Shigure told Kyo, just as non-caringly.

Kyo turned to them. His hands were halfway into fists, as if he had claws and wanted to rip them to shreds. "Cut—it—out!" he yelled through his teeth.

"When we were little, he said he'd make me his bride," Kagura told them.

Kyo remembered being crouched on the ground with Kagura standing over him with a knife. "That's because you threatened me!" Kyo shouted at her.

Kagura put on a sad face. _Kyo's not a member of the zodiac, but…_"Marriage between members of the zodiac is the most wonderful thing in the world!" she finished her thought. "Who else can understand the pain of being possessed by a vengeful spirit?" she reasoned. "And better still…"Kagura leaned over and wrapped her arms around Kyo. He tried to escape, but Kagura is _strong. _"…members of the zodiac can hug each other and not transform."

Kagura got up and walked over to Yuki. She hugged him. A second later, Tohru would expect a loud boom and smoke. None of that happened. "See? Yun-Chan, too."

Tohru's mouth hung open. "It's true…! Why is that?" she asked. Also, she remembered Kagura giving Kyo a hug after she beat him to a pulp.

Yuki smiled. "We don't know, but there are two other female members of the zodiac. We just know that if we hug them we don't transform."

"Do you want to know which animals they are?" Shigure asked Tohru.

Tohru squeezed her eyes shut, trying to decide if she wanted to know now, or wanted to wait, or guess. Her eyes snapped open and she smiled at him. "There are two other girls?! Is it okay if I have fun guessing?!"

"That would be fun, too," Shigure agreed.

Yuki laughed, "That's so like you!"

Kagura wanted Tohru to know more. "Ahem. Can we get back to the subject? Anyway," she said, "When we Sohmas marry a _normal _person of the opposite sex, there will inevitably be…uh, complications. Right Shii-Chan?" Her eyes nervously went to him.

Shigure leaned back and answered, "Hmm…well, yes. There are obvious problems. It's difficult to manage in public, and it's terrible transforming whenever you try to hug each other," he explained. "So, sex—"

A plate smashed into his face, but didn't break. Yuki had done that, and told him, "Don't be vulgar." Tohru had no idea what Shigure was about to say, though.

"Kyo-Kun!" Kagura changed again. She bent down to where he was sitting on the floor and urgently demanded, "Tell me the truth! Do you like me? Do you hate me?"

Kyo almost fell over. "Huh?!"

"I like you! I love you more than anything in the _world_!" Kagura raised her voice. "More than anything in the _universe_!" she added. "For you, Kyo-Kun, I will make delicious meals every day!"

Kyo was freaking out. "Just a—"

"Even if you cheat on me, I'll forgive you."

"Wai—"

"Whatever you think, Kyo-Kun, I'm the only one who loves you this much. I think I'm the only one for you! Don't you think so too?" Kagura asked him. There was barely a pause. "I asked if you thought so too!" she screamed, glaring down at him.

"Kyo sure caves under pressure," Shigure commented. "But you like Kyo-Kun, too, don't you Tohru-Kun?"

Kagura's eyes widened. She spun around to look at her. "No…you're my rival?!"

"Eh?" Tohru was confused now, definitely.

Kagura brought her hands to her chest in fists. "Well, I won't lose!" she said determinedly. "My love can overcome any obstacle!"

"Um…"

"What do _you _like about Kyo-Kun?! I love _everything _about him!"

"Hey," Kyo would have shouted, but was trying to calm down.

"I'll take his good traits with his bad!" Kagura vowed. "Even if he changes into his true form, I'll stand by hi—" By the time she said 'form', Kyo was standing behind her.

Kyo clapped his hand over Kagura's mouth. "That's…enough…" Kyo said as calmly as he could manage.

Tohru was lost. _His…true form?_ She wondered about that. What…true form? Yes, he could turn into a cat, but…true form?

"Keep talking like that…and I'll never forgive you!" Kyo warned her, his voice getting louder.

Kagura's eyes widened, and she slammed Kyo onto the floor. "What do you mean you'll never forgive me?!" she demanded. Kyo shouted painfully.

"It looks like Kyo's the one who needs to be forgiven," Yuki observed, untwisting a piece of candy.

Tohru didn't say anything aloud, but, again, was deeply buried in her thoughts. _I wonder what she means by true form…Putting that aside, it looks like Kagura-San loves Kyo-Kun so much she can't stand it. I haven't even had my first love…_Tohru realized. _…so I'm a little jealous that she can love someone so much._



That night, Kagura was sitting in Shigure's office while he was organizing his books. "I wish I could live here too," Kagura told him. "I just get so nervous thinking of a girl so close to him," she admitted.

"Feel free to stay the night any time," Shigure welcomed, piling up a stack of books.

Kagura changed to her less sane side again. Her eyes glared at the wood floor. "If it's going to be this way, then I'll make him mine tonight!"

"You're not allowed to leave your room until morning," Shigure ordered her. "Try not to break anything," he added quietly.

Kagura sighed, very audibly, changing back to her calm side. "You don't realize how delicate a girl's feelings are, Shii-Chan."

Shigure stood up and began placing books on shelves. He smiled. "Even I…know what it's like to be jealous."



Tohru was upstairs on the balcony where the drying line was, at the time. She hung up her school clothes. "I knew I forgot _something_," Tohru told herself. "I forgot to dry my uniform."

Tohru heard a thud on the roof. _Someone's on the roof…?_ She climbed up the ladder and peeked over the edge. Kyo was lying on his back watching the stars. Tohru had never seen him…so peaceful. "Kyo-Kun! What are you doing up there?" Tohru asked him.

He heard her and jumped, then turned on his side and partially sat up. "Wah?!" He didn't expect her here.

Tohru gasped loudly. "Oh yeah, you don't have a room…! Did I take your room?!" she asked. If it _was_ his, she was completely willing to give it back.

Kyo sat up and looked down. "That's not it. I always slept in the living room. _Kagura's_ down there tonight…" he trailed off.

Tohru climbed up onto the roof and sat down next to him. "Is it bad that she's here?"

"Of course it's bad!" Kyo made it sound as if it was completely obvious to everyone. He clenched his fists. "I'll never get any peace as long as she's around!" He ran his fingers halfway through his hair and kept them there a moment. "I don't understand her. Marriage or whatever—it's insane. I just doesn't make any sense!" he said.

Tohru tilted her head to look down at him and smiled. "I think it's amazing that she can love someone so much. Besides…" she looked back up. "…getting married is a girl's greatest dream!"

Kyo's eyebrows pulled together, and he really was very confused. "Hnn…? Really…? Why?"

"Isn't your dream to beat Sohma-Kun?" Tohru asked him. "You even ran away to train for it."

"Yeah," Kyo confirmed. "Shigure told you?"

Tohru knew that _he_ knew that _she_ knew, so she didn't _need _to answer. She just asked him, "Was it hard…? Being all by yourself?"

"I wasn't by myself," Kyo told her. "_Master _was with me!" He suddenly got extremely excited.

"Master…San? He must be strong," Tohru guessed, smiling.

"Pah!" Kyo looked over at her smiling. "Of course! Even that damn Yuki would be torn apart by master!" he told her with a laugh. And he wasn't exaggerating. "Master is a Sohma, too, but one who understands how I feel. Master trained me since I was little!" He jumped to his feet, and smiled up to the sky. "Training in the mountains was hard," he admitted. "…but, I always looked forward to the next day. Wondering what I'd learn, how much stronger I'd become…I got excited just thinking about it!" Kyo punched the air.

_He is acting like a little boy, _Tohru thought, but she kept it to herself. _This is the first time I've seen Kyo-Kun so excited. _Tohru was watching everything he did, kicking, punching, and listening to every word.

Kyo sighed. "Suddenly, I want to fight!"

_It's about more than beating Sohma-Kun, _Tohru realized. _He loves martial arts. _Tohru was just watching, and Kyo froze, and his smile dropped. He went back down and sat cross-legged next to Tohru.

"This must be boring for a girl to listen to," Kyo realized sadly. Tohru's head turned towards him.

"Huh?! That…that's not true!! I don't know much about martial arts, but I'm not bored!" Tohru assured him.

"Really?" he asked, looking out at the sky with his eyebrows pulled together again, like before.

"I'd be bored if someone was talking about something that I'm not interested in!" Kyo looked at her. She clenched her fists and desperately searched for words to explain this quickly before he took it the wrong way. "I mean, if someone was talking about physics or something, I'd get sleepy, but it's not as if I have no interest in martial arts!" Tohru said. "I'm no expert, but I know a few techniques, um…um…" She clenched her fist and punched Kyo on the side of his arm. "Right straight!" she shouted with her eyes squeezed shut. Kyo hadn't budged. After a moment, Tohru snapped her eyes open, and Kyo said nothing. Her arm was still straight out. She dropped it after she noticed.

Kyo looked over at her and cocked an eyebrow. After a moment, he smiled at her. "You really suck, you know that?" he asked her jokingly.

Tohru smiled back. _Again, I've seen the true Kyo-Kun. Under that scowl…is an awkward smile. _Kyo started to explain the technique to her.

He held out his arm like she did, but slightly bent at the elbow. Tohru copied him. "First off, that's not a normal technique. Even I get it wrong," Kyo admitted. "It's like this," he said, nodding to his arm.



"I guess this is goodbye," Kagura said, clinging to Kyo the next morning. At the current moment, Kyo was _trying _to brush his teeth. Kyo had to brush his teeth at the kitchen sink, since he basically woke up and went to bed a few feet from it. "Until I see you again, take care."

"I wouldn't have to take care if you would just _stay away_!" Kyo yelled in reply.

Tohru looked over to them and smiled nervously. "They're pretty animated for this early in the morning."

"Indeed," Shigure agreed, appearing behind her. "So, have you figured out Kagura's animal yet? And have you seen my morning paper?"

Tohru looked over her shoulder at him with her determined face. "Not yet!"

Meanwhile, Kagura's eyes were getting teary. "Kyo-Kun, you idiot!" she shouted at him. "I won't give you a farewell kiss, then!" she warned, pulling her arms back to herself.

"Good, I don't want one!" Kyo retorted.

Tohru watched her run towards the door, but she saw something there already. "Kagura-San, watch out! You're about to crash!"

"Kagura!" Shigure shouted.

Kagura was sprinting to the front door. "Kyo-Kun, you jerk! Kyo-Kun…Kyo-Kun, I—" She punched her way through the door and screamed, " I love you!!"

When she got through the door, there was the paper boy standing there. Kagura, unfortunately, crashed into him. Shigure, Kyo, and Tohru were staring through the hole. Kyo and Shigure gasped.

Tohru squeaked, "A man!"

Yuki ran down the stairs, out the door, and pushed the guy a few feet away from Kagura, covering the man's eyes. "Good morning. Lovely weather, isn't it?" Yuki asked casually. "How may I help you?"

The man replied nervously, "I, uh, forgot to deliver the morning paper!" Yuki took the paper and thanked him, and then came back inside, after making sure that he left.

Yuki walked into the living room. "Nice save, Yuki-Kun!" Shigure exclaimed, very relieved. "Enchant his memories away!"

"Sohma-Kun has a twinkle in his eyes today," Tohru said quietly. "Th-that was close."

Kyo started shouting, "Watch what you're doing Kagura!" Like he was one to talk.

"I'm sorry!" Kagura apologized. "I didn't expect there to be a _man _there!"

Tohru followed her voice. She found it and looked down to the floor at a small, dark brown boar sitting on the floor. "Shigure-San, I figured it out! Kagura-San is year of the _boar_!" she shouted excitedly. Tohru picked her up and Kagura did nothing.

"Well, sure, it's easy _now_," Shigure mumbled. _She seems so proud of herself…_he thought.

"Kagura-San always charges straight ahead, just like the boar!" Tohru pointed out.

"It's no good to reason it once you've got the answer," Shigure said.

Tohru looked at Kagura again. "I'm impressed! She's such a cute pig!" There was a pause.

"She's not listening…oh well," Shigure chuckled, smiling nervously. He scratched his chin.

Tohru held up Kagura and smiled at her. "Kagura-San," she started, "I think I know why you like Kyo-Kun so much." Kagura's eyes widened. "Kyo-Kun has so many wonderful qualities." Kagura started to shake with anger. "So, just like you Kagura-San, I—"

Kagura jumped out of Tohru's hands and pounced on Kyo. "Kyo-Kun, you traitor!" she screamed. She smacked him across the face with her hooves. "I only let my guard down for a second!" she said. Tohru was just standing there, blushing with her eyes wide, shocked at her sudden anger at her innocent comment.

"What are you talking about?!" Kyo shouted back, at least once he could feel his face enough.

"Didn't she say she'd forgive him for cheating on her?" Shigure wondered. He stood, watching Kagura beat up Kyo.

Kagura was clinging to his neck and head. "I didn't say I wouldn't punish him first!" she yelled.

"No!" Tohru hated shouting, but this time it was necessary. She walked over to her with her hands held up. "That's not what I meant…" Tohru assured her with a nervous voice. "What I meant to say, is that I hope I can find as much to love in the one I'll someday fall in love with as you find in Kyo-Kun," she explained. "That's all I meant," Tohru added quietly, lowering her hands.

Kagura let that sink in. She loosened Kyo."…As much as I do?" she asked. Kagura couldn't quite understand.

"Yes!" Tohru said happily. "I really admire you!"

Kagura's eyes widened and sparkled. You could even see a smile tugging at the corners of her mouth. That didn't last long, though. There was a booming sound and smoke filled the room. Kagura changed back into human form, and she was standing behind Kyo now, with her hands on his shoulders, and she was leaning on Kyo, unintentionally making him uncomfortable. "She complimented me!" she gasped and smiled.

Kyo blushed furiously and tried to rip away from Kagura. "Put some clothes on!" he yelled. This was on way too high a level of embarrassment for him.

"Keep training, Kyo-Kun," Shigure told him. They both still remembered their how-to-interact-with-people-comparing-to-martial-arts conversation.

Within a few minutes, Kagura was dressed, and Yuki, Kyo, and Tohru were outside with her, ready for school. Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo stood together watching Kagura walk away. She turned and smiled brightly. "Well, see you later!" she shouted back to them. She waved, making her cat backpack swing around a little. "I'll bring you a gift next time, Kyo-Kun!"

Tohru held her book bag down by her knees. "See you again!" Tohru said, waving back with her free hand, politely smiling as always. It was a nice day. The storm from the other night had passed. Kyo walked away towards school, probably fast as he was because it was the opposite direction that Kagura was going in.

Yuki tilted his head back as he watched Kagura walk away. "Thank God. They were causing so much trouble that I couldn't begin my planting," he said to Tohru.

Tohru perked up. "Were you going to plant something new at your base?!" she asked him very excitedly.

He looked over at her. "Yeah. Strawberries."

"Strawberries?! I love strawberries!"

Yuki smiled at her. "I hoped you would." Kyo looked back and started to march over. Tohru smiled back at Yuki, neither of them noticing Kyo.

Tohru felt a fist lightly on her head. Kyo had knocked the back of his hand on the back of her head. "We're gonna be late," he told her, trying to pretend he was annoyed by closing his eyes and pulling his eyebrows together.

Tohru jumped and held the back of her head with her free hand. Then she chuckled at her own feelings. For some reason she felt inspired.

During free period she stopped by the library. She walked down in between the bookcases with three books in her hands. She held them to her chest. She wanted to learn more about Kyo and Yuki's likes and dislikes, so they could be better friends, hopefully. She had one book on gardening to educate her on Yuki's gardening, a book on martial arts to learn about what Kyo loves so much, and a cook book for her. She thought that maybe there were some dinner ideas that they'd like in there. She wanted to find new sides of Yuki and Kyo that she hadn't seen yet.

Tohru walked up to the check-out desk. The librarian checked out her books and handed them back to her. As Tohru was taking back her books, her homeroom teacher walked in. "Honda. You have a phone call in the office," he told her.

"Ah! Okay." The teacher left. Tohru walked down to the front office, and over to the phone that the secretary held out to her. She set down her books.

Tohru picked up the phone and said hello. She heard a familiar voice on the other line. Tohru gasped, and her voice broke when she asked, "Grandpa?"

"The remodeling is finished," he told her. "It's over."



"Today, I got a phone call…from grandpa." Tohru didn't want to make eye contact while telling Shigure this. They were sitting down at the table, as Tohru had requested. Shigure's eyes widened. "So…" her voice broke on the word and she knew that she couldn't continue. Her eyes were sad and looked down.

_I made…a mistake. _Tohru thought sadly that night as she was packing. _I was never going to be…more than a temporary guest. But I made the mistake…_Her eyes started to water, knowing that what she wished was not in any way true. _…of thinking of them…_A tear rolled down her cheek. _...as my family. _She hung her head lower and cried.

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

**A/N: Waah!! Poor Tohru. R&R. c:**

** _Woo Hoo Girl_- I'm glad your friend can enjoy the story without getting confused! C:**


	6. Chapter Six

**A/N: Sad part. Tohru's cousin is pretty mean... ANYWAY, I think I'll start working on the second one soon...OMG WAIT I DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING ABOUT THAT. **

**OKAY--SO--I'm doing the whole novel thing, right? There's no way I could just put all 23 volumes into one. SO...I will be having six. This one, Fruits Basket, covers volumes 1-4. The next one, True Secrets, covers volumes 5-8. Then comes Past and Future, covering volumes 9-12. Then volumes 13-16 are covered in Unwanted Truth. Difficult, 17-20 (considering a title change for that one, it's a tough one to pick. tell me ideas!!) And then the last one covers the rest and it's called Goodbye. (any ideas? i don't think i'm sticking with that one either...)**

**I also might do Omake Theatre collections at the end of each one. (the little skits inbetween chapters in the manga)**

**BTW: Each different one will be a different "story" on here. When I post True Secrets and so on, I'll say if it's the second one, the third one, ect. SO--With that time consuming announcment--enjoy chapter um -thinks- SIX! Enjoy chapter six.**

**Disclaimer: But I have to put this disclaimer here too. I don't own Fruits Basket. Otherwise I wouldn't need to say: No copyright infringement intended!**

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

The next morning she was ready to leave, but she wasn't leaving until the next day. She was in the kitchen with Yuki and Shigure. Shigure was reading the morning paper. Tohru tried to look cheerful. "Please eat the shiokara in the fridge soon," she requested. She didn't want them to have her food go bad. It pretty much was all they had left of her. "And you're almost out of soy sauce. Oh! And they changed trash day, don't forget," she reminded them. "And…" She knew she was to say something else. To give them something..."Oh!" She remembered now. "This is my grandfather's address," she said, lifting the bottom of her button down shirt to retrieve a piece of paper from her pocket. She slid it to the middle of the table.

Shigure looked up from his paper with a troubled expression. "You're finally leaving tomorrow?" He faked a smile, and anyone could tell. "Thank you for taking such good care of us."

"No! I should thank you!" Tohru said. "I'll take the Sohma secret to my grave. I won't tell anyone!" she promised.

"Just do your best in your new home, too," Shigure told her.

"I will!" Tohru made that promise, too, smiling. Anyone would believe her smile, though. But it was fake, also. "I won't allow for sadness."

Yuki looked over to Kyo. Kyo was sitting in the doorway to the yard. He slowly turned his head to look back at Yuki.

Three words were running through Tohru's head for the whole day and night. Three words only.

_A big mistake. _



"I thought you'd stop her."

Shigure held up his cigarette and tapped it. Yuki walked into the room as his cousin said that to him a few hours after Tohru left.

"Why?" Yuki asked. He looked away from Shigure. "We knew it was only until the remodeling was finished."

Shigure said nothing, but took another smoke. _So why does it feel like a funeral home in here? _Shigure wanted to say.

"Eh. It's better this way," Kyo murmured. He was lying in the doorway. "It's not right for an outsider to be here anyway," he said, expressionless, maybe even sad.



Tohru kneeled in the middle of her new room. Sharing it with her older cousin didn't bother her. She was looking at her mother's picture. _I made a mistake. They're not my family, _she told herself. "Ever since I was little, I've been an outsider," she mumbled to herself.

When she was in her first years of school, at recess one day, her class played a new game. The game was called Fruits Basket. This is the way it was played:

First, everybody sits in a circle, and the group decides who's "it". This part of the game is similar to Duck, Duck, Goose. Then, the person who's "it" assigns the name of a fruit to every person. When your fruit's name is called, you change seats.

Tohru remembered the game very clearly. The boy who was "it" was assigning fruits. One person was an apple, banana, cherry, pear, peach, and so on, just ordinary fruits. The boy then pointed at Tohru straight in the face, causing her to lean back so her shoulder length hair swished. "Honda, you're the onigiri!" At that time, all she thought was about how much she actually did love rice balls, or onigiri.

The boys always teased her back then. She thought now, that maybe it was just a little prank of theirs. Everyone was being called as the game started. As they went on playing for a few minutes, she was still waiting for someone to call 'onigiri'. Tohru just sat there with her goofy smile…waiting. The game ended. No one ever called out 'onigiri'.

But she was little then. She didn't know. Tohru had no clue. She had actually almost forgotten about the whole incident. Now, she thought about how much that little incident fit her life. She was an outcast.

Tohru walked back into the kitchen where everyone was. Her grandfather, aunt, uncle, and cousin. "It's been a long time," Tohru said with a small bow. "I am at your mercy." Everyone just smiled at her, but she was still looking down, avoiding them because she knew she couldn't smile back.

The kids that one day knew. She didn't until she was older. There would never be room for an onigiri in a fruits basket.



The first morning at the Sohma home after Tohru left, Shigure and Yuki found a note from Tohru. There was a stack of bowls under a cloth. The note was on top. It read:

Dinner is in the fridge.

XO, Tohru

Yuki and Shigure just looked at it for a moment. Tohru was always prepared, considering it's morning. "Looks like she's gone," Shigure sighed theatrically. Yuki crossed his arms. "She just up and left." Still with nothing to say, Yuki walked outside.

Shigure kept looking at the note. "She's only just left," he muttered, "…but I already miss her," he admitted to himself. The image of Tohru brightening a room with her smiles played through his mind. In fact, a small part of him didn't think he could live without those smiles, and the optimism that radiated off of her. "This will be a sad house without you, Tohru-Kun."

Yuki was outside sitting on a large rock, watching the strawberries grow. The ones they planted together. He thought of Tohru. The look on her face when he told her that he was planting something new. The kindness conversation they had during the storm. She'd listened when he opened up to her about how he felt about the Sohma. When he told her that her memories might be erased, and how she asked him to still be her friend even if it did happen. Then he started to feel what Shigure did.

Kyo was lying on the roof, gazing up at the stars. He was thinking of Tohru, too. He remembered when she told him that she loved him, the cat from the zodiac, basically rejected by his entire family. When they were on the roof together while Kagura was there. He shared the others' feelings in no time.

They couldn't help but think about her. She was all they _could_ think about. Even the smallest things. They really did…miss her.



The next morning, Tohru sat in her room, finishing unpacking her things. _I wonder if they ate breakfast…_ She couldn't keep Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure out of _her_ mind. _I should have said something more._ She came across something. _But we'll see each other at school…right? _Tohru picked up the book she borrowed from the library about martial arts.

"Hey?! Are you done unpacking?" Her cousin burst in with an annoyed tone.

Tohru jumped and blinked a few times before she shoved her books back into her book bag. "Oh! I'm sorry. Almost."

Her cousin stood in the doorway and shook her head. "Ugh. And here we finally got a big house. Why do _I_ have to share a room?"

Grandpa walked up to the doorway. "Kyoko-San…"

"That's Tohru, grandpa."

"They're calling for you downstairs," he finished.

Tohru's eyebrows pulled together in confusion, but she went down to the kitchen. "Hi…is something wrong?" she asked.

Her aunt was reading a paper, and her uncle sat by her. Grandpa and Tohru's cousin stood on the other side of the room. "I thought it would be best to discuss this with you as soon as possible," her aunt told her, removing her reading glasses and setting down the paper. She looked at Tohru. "Tohru-Chan, it seems that you've been living with unmarried men? I had a detective look into it."

Tohru stiffened, and the words 'curse' and 'secret' ran through her mind. But it turns out they had no idea; otherwise they would have said something sooner.

Her cousin gasped. "No way! You were _shacked up_?! Wow!" She was clearly jealous. "And I thought _I_ would be first," she added.

"D-detective?" Grandpa stammered. "People really do that? Why go through the trouble?" he asked. Tohru still stood silent.

"My oldest son wants to be a police man," Tohru's aunt explained. "It would be a problem if one of our relatives were to have a criminal record." Tohru's uncle glanced up. "I thought going to a detective was a bit much…" she admitted, "…but Kyoko-San was pretty rough; and they say, 'The fruit doesn't fall far from the tree.' So I got nervous." Tohru remembered what her mother said she was like before she met her father. In middle school, Kyoko, Tohru's mother, was in a gang. A suicide squad. Her mother _hurt_ people. "You have to keep on the straight and narrow if you plan to stay in this house," her aunt directed to Tohru, managing to snap her out of her daze.

Her uncle looked up and smiled. "Hey, Tohru-Chan. Those men in that house…they didn't do anything _improper _to you did they?" he asked, chuckling. "Living in a house with three men, I bet you had all sorts of fun." Tohru just stood there.

_SMACK! _Everyone gasped. Seconds later, Grandpa's hand was still against her uncle's face from striking him. "Grandpa?!" her aunt yelled.

"Don't you know anything besides how to mock people?" Grandpa asked him, for once, irritated. "I'm sorry Kyoko-San," he said, looking over to Tohru. Tohru was about to tell him that he called her by her mother's name again by accident, but he cut her off. "Don't think poorly of him." He smiled. "Deep down…they're just evil people."

"Wait a second, Grandpa! You don't mean that!" Tohru's aunt and uncle said simultaneously.

"What? What did I say?" Grandpa chuckled. "Still, this is where I need to be. I'm an old man. If they say mean things to me, I can deal with it." He paused and looked over to Tohru. "But _you _don't have to stay here. You need to live somewhere where you can spread your wings and really be alive," he told her. "Katsuya needed that, too."

_Dad…_Tohru thought sadly when Grandpa mentioned his name.

"You don't have to stay here, Kyoko-San," he said. "If there's someplace you'd rather be, you can go."

Tohru thought about it. The words were like a key to the lock that was keeping her from her happiness. But…that didn't seem right. "If I live here, I'll be miserable." _The Sohmas treated me kindly, _she remembered. "But that's not right. Mom really loved me; I have two wonderful friends…" _And Grandpa is so generous to let me live with him…I only have things to be grateful for. _"I'm very…blessed."

_But...even so…I want to go back. _Tears started to stream down Tohru's face. Her eyes were wide and disbelieving what she was thinking. _I miss Sohma-Kun's house…so much. I want to learn more about Sohma-Kun and Kyo-Kun. I want to have dinner with them and talk about many things. I didn't really want…_She held up her forearm against her face to hide her tears. _I hated to leave. _But…what about her mother…her family?

"I wanted to stay…" Tohru choked on the words the first time. "I wanted to stay…with Sohma-Kun, and Kyo-Kun, and Shigure-San," she said more clearly. _Is that wrong? _she wondered. _Is it proof…that I'm spoiled? _

"I think it's time you…" Tohru heard the most familiar voice. She brought her arm down and her eyes widened. "…came home." Yuki was smiling at her. He was standing next to her, leaning to the side to see her face. He had an arm outstretched towards the door.

Everyone gasped. Tohru looked up at him with wide eyes. "Who is that?!" her aunt demanded. _They're so cute! _her aunt thought. _So beautiful! _thought her uncle. Their eyes were wider than Tohru's.

Tohru was pulled backwards by a tan hand on her forehead. "Let's go," Kyo said, low voiced.

Tohru couldn't believe anything that was happening. "Kyo…Kun…but…! Kyo-Kun! You came too!"

Kyo led Tohru through the door by walking forward with his hand on the side of her head. It was hard for Tohru to keep pace, so she almost tripped a few times on the way out.

Yuki turned his head and smiled kindly at Tohru's relatives. "The door was unlocked, so we let ourselves in. Are Honda-San's things upstairs?" he asked.

"W—wait just a second!" Tohru's cousin ordered. "Who are you? What do you think you're doing?!"

"We came to get Honda-San," he answered simply without hesitation.

"Eh?!" Tohru's uncle. "You're the men Tohru-Chan was living with?! You're a guy?!"

Yuki ignored his last question, and what really stuck out was how he addressed Tohru. His face was blank for a moment. Then he took one long stride to reach him and jabbed his finger into the man's forehead, causing him to almost fall over. "_Don't_ call her Tohru-Chan like she's your friend." The man looked frightened. Yuki glared up at him, just barely through his silver hair. "Lowlife." Everybody stared at him as he walked upstairs.



Tohru and Kyo were on the way home. Kyo had his hand around her neck now, and Tohru was still trying to keep pace. "Uh, um…Kyo-Kun, how did you find me?"

"You're the one who left the address!" Kyo was back into his regular tone. "Even if it was frickin' hard to make out!" He dropped his hand. He remembered earlier. He kept asking for the map, and Yuki just wouldn't give it to him. "Thanks to your lousy handwriting, I had to spend all day walking with that damn Yuki! I don't even know why the hell I'm doing this." He put a hand on his hip and smacked himself in the head with the other. "Why did I get all irritated the moment you left? I didn't make any sense, so I got even _more_ annoyed!" he admitted.

Tohru thought. _Even though they fought…they came to get me? _

"Anyway," Kyo continued, "If you really didn't want to leave, you should have said so in the _first place_!" he got closer to shouting.

"Eh?! But—how did you—?"

"I heard you."

Tohru instantly felt her face heat up. Her face cooled after a minute of silence because the wind started blowing. She still couldn't find anything to say.

"I thought that you…were all about saying what you feel," Kyo told her, turning his head away. He spoke slower than usual, not letting it all out in a rush. "Normally I hate people who whine all the time, but in your case…it would be okay…to complain." He looked down. "Be selfish…say what you want…once in a while. It's okay…to let yourself be sad," he told her.

His last words echoed in Tohru's head over and over again. Her eyes became teary and she started to cry. Kyo turned his head to look at her, but his calmed face freaked out in a matter of seconds. "What?! What's wrong?!" he asked, seriously concerned. "Why are you crying?!" No answer. "Hey!" Kyo shouted.

Tohru choked on a sob. "I do want…to go back," she admitted. Her and Kyo were standing face to face. After a minute she hung her head. Kyo looked at her sadly. She remembered. _'It's okay…' _"I want to go back…" she hesitated, and added, "…home!" she almost shouted. They blushed at almost the same time, and Kyo looked up at the clouds.

"All right already!" Kyo said loudly. "Then we're going home now!" Kyo grasped her hand and led her back over to Yuki who had just exited the house with her things. He was standing with his arms crossed, and when he saw them coming back over, he smiled.

Tohru could hear it clearly. Someone just shouted 'onigiri'. She, as a small girl, jumped up and ran. _There's…no one as lucky as me, _she realized. The three of them walked home with Tohru walking in between Yuki and Kyo. Tohru held onto one of each of their hands.

"Tohru," Kyo asked for her.

"Yes?"

"Your nose is running."

"Heh."



When they arrived home, Shigure was waiting for them. He smiled when they walked through the door and said, "Congratulations on operation: kidnap the Princess!"

"You make it sound as if we did something wrong," Kyo told him, removing his shoes.

"At least call it a rescue," Yuki suggested.

Tohru blushed with a nervous smile. "Um…I'm back. I hope that's not a problem," she said shakily.

"Yes, yes. It's alright," Shigure assured her. "Leave all your worries to me." _Well, I'm not going to actually do anything…_he smiled at the thought.

"But! I can't cause you any more problems!"

"It's fine, it's fine," Shigure told her. "Just make sure you don't run away again." He chuckled. "You should have seen these two," he looked over to Yuki and Kyo. "They practically killed me to get your address. It's nice to see that their efforts were rewarded." Shigure looked back at Tohru and smiled. He sighed. "I'd never seen Yuki-Kun so flustered." Yuki stopped dead on his way out of the room. "As opposed to Kyo-Kun, who's always flustered," Shigure added quietly. He didn't want to get beat up.

Yuki whipped his head back and his face was shocked. He was blushing crimson. "I wasn't that flustered!" Kyo, who had heard Shigure's last comment, just glared at him.

Shigure laughed at Yuki. "Liar!" he accused. "Moping around like a sad rat who lost his cheese."

Yuki turned all the way around and smacked Kyo across the face. "_You _were the one who was moping."

"Damn Yuki!"

"It's not much of a home…" Shigure said to Tohru, "…but if you take it, Tohru-Kun, it's yours," he promised.

"Yes!" Tohru answered without hesitation.

"Today you're going down!" Kyo shouted at Yuki.

"Oh, it's on now."

Tohru was home. With her family.

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**A/N: Aww! No matter how many times I read any part of Fruits Basket...I can't help but smile/cry/laugh/ect.! I just love it so much... R&R! (no really, please R&R!)**


	7. Chapter Seven

**A/N: Haha...this chapter is one of my favorites...Uotani and Hanajima come to see Tohru's new home. I debated with myself for a little while whether or not I should put the part of the Dai Hin Min scene where Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure keep transforming as well as the "jelly bun" scene. (by the way, those scenes were in the anime only) I decided against it, but now I think I should've...**

**Also in this chapter...the wonderful discovery of Shigure's "just for fun" novel writing... o.e *twitch **

**Anyway, enjoy! Thanks to people who review.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but Takaya-Sensei does!! (i forgot the disclaimer the first time i uploaded. I'M SORRY TO THE PEOPLE WHO CAN SUE ME FOR THAT. O.O)**

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And so…a new banquet begins.

"Aaaaaahh!" Tohru screamed. She was now lying at the bottom of the staircase, and there were books scattered everywhere. Kyo and Yuki shortly followed behind her, each with a pile of books.

"Honda-San! Are you okay?!" asked Yuki.

"I told you you didn't have to help," Kyo told her.

"Yes," Tohru answered Yuki. "…but Shigure-San's books…"

Yuki glared at Kyo. "She's only moving those books so we can turn Shigure's library you're _your _room." That's right. They were working on moving _all _of Shigure's books downstairs from the upstairs. He has a huge collection.

"I didn't ask for her to help." Suddenly, Kyo was pressed to the floor by Yuki's pile of books.

"Damn rat!"

"Perhaps if you'd just die, you'd be reincarnated as something more pleasant."

"You're the one with the messed up personality, dammit!"

Tohru held back giggles, and just smiled.

Shigure followed down the steps. He held a stack of books on his shoulder. "Hey, you two! If you have time to fight, you're not working hard enough!"

Yuki walked over to give Tohru his stack of books. It was probably lighter than hers was. Kyo pushed his way out of the pile of books saying, "Damn Yuki, damn Yuki, damn Yuki…" Everyone put their books on the shelves. "Look at that!" Kyo said proudly. "I filled a shelf faster than you!" he said, obviously, to Yuki. "Take that moron!" The books weren't on very neatly, but they were still there.

"Kyo-Kun, you're damaging the books!" Shigure held up a scrap of paper angrily.

The doorbell rang. Yuki looked up. "They're here!" Tohru squeaked. Tohru rushed out of the room and to the front door. She pulled the door open. "Welcome! Did you find the house alright?!" she asked the visitors. "Let me introduce you all again!" Yuki, Kyo, and Shigure walked in. It's pretty expected, who was standing at the door.

They stood side by side, and Tohru motioned towards them and said, "This is Arisa Uotani-San, and Saki Hanajima-Chan! They're my best friends!" Tohru smiled.

"'Sup?" Uo asked with a not-so-happy face. She was wearing a trench coat.

"Hello…" Hana said, expressionless. Gothic attire for her.

Yuki and Kyo said nothing. Shigure smiled and welcomed them. "Hello!"

So, how did Uo and Hana get here? Well, Tohru asked Shigure, since she was going to be staying here, if she could tell her friends where she was. Shigure told her that it was perfectly fine, as long as she didn't tell them about the zodiac spirits. _"Thank you so much!" _she'd said. He told her that he couldn't wait to see what kind of people her friends were. Kyo walked in and simply told him _"A Yankee thug and a psychic freak." _Shigure's face dropped, but Tohru explained and everything turned out good.

Tohru also remembered when she gave Uo and Hana the news. Uo was freaking out. _"What?! So let me get this straight. You were living in a tent in the woods, but now you're living with Prince Charming and Anger Management boy? Seriously?!" _Tohru told them that she was sorry, and that everything was okay. She assured them that they were really good people. Uo said that she thought that she had been hanging out with the two boys a lot, and that she gets it. She also wondered what the fan girls would think. They decided to never tell them. Then, Hana invited her and Uo over the next weekend to make sure it was a suitable environment for Tohru.

And now it's the weekend. Shigure, Kyo, and Yuki turned around from Tohru, Arisa, and Saki. "Psst! Are you out of your mind, Shigure?" Kyo asked in a whisper. "I don't think this is a good idea. That Goth girl sees _waves _or something," he warned.

Shigure shook his head and laughed. Also in a whisper, he said, "Que será será. Everything will be fine," he told them. "Really, Kyo, you worry too much."

"No, Shigure," Yuki disagreed. "You really a_re _out of your mind."

Hana's head turned slowly towards them. "…A dog." she said. Everyone stopped dead except for Hana and Arisa. Tohru had just walked in with a tray of snacks and she stopped walking too. "Over there…" Hana said looking by Shigure.

"Eh?! Ah! Oh. You're right. _Bad dog! _You can't come in here!" Shigure said. Yuki and Kyo walked away, and Shigure just stood there still panicking.

"Hey, you're…Shigure-San, right?" Uo asked. "What do you do to pay the bills around here?"

Shigure calmed and turned to smile at her. "Oh, me? I write. I'm a novelist."

Tohru dropped her tray. "You're a novelist?!" she yelled.

"Why are you so surprised?!" Uo asked her.

"You never asked, did you?" Hana asked calmly. She caught the tray for Tohru just a second ago.

"I had no idea," Tohru said quietly. _Now that I think of it…he is home during the week. _she realized.

Shigure came back from his library. No one noticed that he left to get a book or two. "Yup, that's right. I write _these_."He tossed a novel onto the table. Everyone gathered to read it. Hana and Tohru just looked at it, while Uo, Yuki, and Kyo glared at it. It was called Summer-Colored Sigh. There was a picture of a woman on the front with long blond hair, and she was crying. The description read: "_We can't go back to that summer, but we can always remember…A naughty love story unfolds."_

Shigure took a look at the cover, too, and quickly snatched it up and held up Heartthrob by Shigure Sohma. "Oops! Oh, I'm sorry. Wrong one. This. This is the real one!" He held up Summer-Colored Sigh again and said, "This is a book I put out on the lark." He smiled nervously.

Uotani freaked out and yelled, "Doesn't that still mean _you _wrote that smut?!"

"That's amazing!" Tohru told him. She didn't care what it was about. It was a book, and Shigure wrote it. That was enough for her to think of it incredible.

Kyo glared at Shigure. "What's so amazing about being a perv?"

Yuki looked at Kyo and said, "For once, I agree with you."

Tohru was still impressed. She walked over to Shigure and said, "To think that I've been this close to a novelist…" Shigure put his hand in an 'L' shape under his chin. That was his little 'Shii-Chan' pose.

"Honda-San, you'd better stop or he'll get a swelled head," Yuki told her.

"Doesn't Shigure already have a swelled head?" Kyo asked.

Everyone was silent for a moment. Then Tohru held up her finger. "Oh yeah! I just thought of something really fun!" She started to run out of the room. "Please wait here a minute!" she requested.

"Tohru?" someone asked.

Shigure turned to walk into his office. "If you'll excuse me, I have work to do. You kids have fun."

No one said anything until Tohru was out of hearing distance. "Hmph. That Tohru..." Hana started. Kyo and Yuki looked over. "…looks like she's pretty used to living here." She picked up Summer-Colored Sigh and started to read.

"I'm glad…" Uo said. "And I understand why she was worried about telling us. But...we swore on Kyoko-San's grave that we would look out for Tohru. Maybe that wouldn't be a big deal for some people, but Tohru was our first friend. We _love _her." She paused to think. "There have been plenty of times when she stuck up for us. So this time, not having a chance to return the favor, it's a big deal for us." Uo looked to her side at Hana. "We didn't know...that Tohru was suffering all by herself." She sighed. "Some friends _we_ are. We really let her down."

For a minute, the room said nothing. After a while, Kyo looked down and said, "She wouldn't worry about stuff like that."

Hana looked up from her book and at the two boys. "Honda-San…isn't the type to see her life…as a glass half empty," Yuki said. Hana looked at him, and so did Uo.

Just then, Tohru burst back into the room. "Sorry for the wait!" she apologized. "Let's get started!" Tohru said excitedly. She held up a deck of playing cards. "Dai Hin Min!"

Yuki smiled. Hana put down Shigure's book and said, "That's a great idea Tohru-Kun."

"A continuation of our last match?" Uo asked with an evil smile towards Kyo. "Excellent. I'll destroy you again, Orangey."

Kyo glared at her. "Keep talking, punk. If I win, you dye your hair black!" Uo's hair is naturally blond. That didn't bother her and she accepted.

"Fine. If you lose, bleach your hair some more so it turns white," Uo challenged.

"This is my natural color!" Kyo argued.

"Oh…is it…?"

Tohru turned to Yuki. "Sohma-Kun, will you cut the deck?" she asked with a bright smile.

"Eh? Uh…Oh. Okay," he said. He tucked a lock of his silver hair behind his ear.



During all of this, Shigure was talking on the phone. "Yes, yes, fine, I'll go over there sometime tomorrow." He paused. "Yes…" he said slowly. Another pause. "Tohru's friends are visiting." Small pause. "Sounds like they're having fun." He smiled.



Uo jumped to her feet. "You bastard! Why don't I teach you a lesson?!"

Kyo jumped to his. "I'd like to see you try, bitch!"

Yuki was sitting down with Tohru. "I have a winning hand…" he said slowly.

Tohru smiled. "I knew you'd be good at this!"

That night, Tohru, Hana, and Uo were all sitting on Tohru's bed, chatting. Yuki was in his room reading about gardening, and Kyo was in his room. "Ack…my throat hurts from yelling so much," Uo complained. She held her throat.

"I ended up losing again," Tohru said with a smile. Nothing could bring her down, it seems.

"Still…you have a nice bed," Hana told Tohru.

"Shigure bought it for me."

"He's acting like an old man with his first grandkid…" Uo said, disgust crossing her face and taking her expression.

Kyo walked out of his bedroom and into the hallway. He heard Uo say, "Huh? Tohru…you still have this hat?"

"Yes, it has sentimental value."

"Really? How come?" Hana asked. Kyo decided to stand outside the door and listen to what she said. He might just know what this hat was.

"That's right," Tohru said. "I haven't told you about it, have I?" she smiled and picked up the red cap. She clutched it to her chest. "One day when I was six, some boys were chasing me and I was really scared. I kept running away from them and got lost. But I was scared of the boys finding me, so I hid." Kyo's eyes widened behind the door. "I stayed there all night, crying and crying…In the morning, a boy appeared in front of me wearing this hat. He stared at me for a while and ran off. I couldn't help myself—I _had _to follow him." She saw her memory. She was running after him, begging him not to leave, to wait for her. "I tripped. I couldn't catch up with him. I just got up and started running after him again. Several times, I thought I'd lost him. But each time, he would wait for me. He was a mysterious boy. Then I realized…" she paused. "…that he had led me home. I went to thank him, but I couldn't find him anywhere. The only proof that he was even ever there was the hat he gave me," Tohru explained.

Kyo stared at the door. He knew something. He knew. "What a wonderful memory," Hana said.

Uo laughed. "It would be an even better story if you met him again and fell in love!"

Tohru laughed, too. "I'll never see him again." Kyo knew.

"You never know, it's a small world."

"You're right. Well, if I did meet him, I'd want to thank him." Tohru paused. "Of course, by now, he's probably forgotten all about it." Kyo didn't know that one. He walked away. He had heard enough. Too many memories.

Tohru sighed. "In a way…that boy was my first love."

"You poor girl." Uo said.

"You've had a tough time ever since you were little, huh?" Hana assumed.

"That's not true at all!" Tohru said with a laugh. "I'm always being reminded of how lucky I've been. I get to live with the Sohmas…my mother loved me very much…and I have the two best friends in the world…Hana-Chan and Uo-Chan," she said. Uo leaned back onto the pillow while Hana and Tohru stayed sitting up. "…who are always there for me," Tohru continued her last thought, "…you two…have been such a support to me. I love my life, and I love you both." Tohru clasped her hands.

Uo had the boys' words run through her head. _"She wouldn't see it that way," _and _"She isn't the type to see her life…as a glass half-empty." _"They understand," Uo said. Tohru looked over.

"Eh?"

Hana smiled. "Yes…Tohru-Kun _is _that kind of person." Hana read Uo's mind. Literally. "The person who focuses on what she has, and not what she's missing." The kind of person who treasures being where she is now. Hana and Tohru joined Uo in lying down. Tohru lay on her back in the middle, and Uo and Hana on their sides facing her. They all held hands.

"We have an unrivaled friendship, don't we?" Uo asked, smiling.

Everyone closed their eyes. "Yup!" Tohru said.

The next morning, Kyo was in the kitchen drinking milk from the carton. His collar on his shirt was undone. In fact, he always left it undone. He hated anything around his neck, like a cat. Yuki was wandering around the kitchen, half-asleep.

"Hey, Yuki." Kyo said. He walked towards him. Yuki was just looking at him. "You…you…that is…" Kyo said confusedly. Yuki said nothing. Yuki's head fell onto Kyo's shoulder. Definitely half-asleep. Yuki never had great mornings.

Tohru walked in. "Sohma-Kun isn't a morning person is he?"

"Wake up, dammit!" Kyo shouted in his ear. Yuki slowly lifted his head, and wandered around. He was completely trapped in his little world at the moment.

"But, I'm impressed, Kyo-Kun," Tohru said. Kyo looked at her. "Even though you wanted to hit him, you wouldn't attack him in his sleep!"

Kyo turned away. "That's not quite it." He had already tried that once before. "He's even stronger in his sleep." His carton of milk was empty now, and he crumpled it by clenching his fist. "And that means that he's always been going easy on me!" Kyo's voice got louder. "He's _thick-skinned_ and _cold-blooded_. He doesn't even have to try!" he yelled. "I hate that damn ra—"

Yuki punched him in the face, remembering that Tohru's friends were over and they couldn't say things like that, and Kyo fell to the floor. Kyo didn't remember that, obviously. "Hey!" Kyo yelled. "Weren't you asleep?!"

"Your stupid voice woke me up," Yuki said. Tohru picked up the trash can and threw away the empty milk carton.

"Fine, dammit," Kyo said. He jumped up to his feet. "See if I care! But I'm taking you down one of these days, you hear me?! I won't stop until I defeat you!"

Yuki stood next to Tohru with his arms crossed. "What are you babbling about this early in the morning?" Yuki and Tohru saw Hana and Uo in the doorway.

"A cat and a mouse…" Hana said slowly. "That's what they're like." Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo were frozen. "See? They're always fighting. Wasn't there a cartoon like that?" Hana asked Uo.

"Tom and Jerry?" Uo guessed.

_Oh yeah, they're here, _Kyo finally remembered. Tohru stood still with a nervous smile.

"You two don't get along, do you?" U0 asked Yuki.

"Um…well," Yuki said shakily.

"Still, it seems like this house it pretty fun," Hana said. "If anyone had hurt Tohru-Kun…I was thinking of all the things that I would do to them," she paused. "Yes. All of them."

"What things?" Kyo and Yuki asked nervously.

"But, you two…" Hanajima continued. "…your waves are _different_, but they're _good_ waves.

"Huh?" They both asked.

"Oh, you didn't realize? That's good too."

Both Uo and Hana leaned on Tohru a little, one of them on either side of her. "Well, all right boys," Uotani said. "We're counting on you to take care of one thing and one thing only—"

"…our little Tohru-Kun," Hana finished for her.

Tohru's eyes got teary. "Uo-Chan…Hana-Chan…"

Kyo and Yuki were thinking the same thing. _It's like they're giving her away to be married…_

Uo and Hana began to walk out the door. "We'll come by again soon," Uotani said. "Now let's get breakfast," she suggested to Hana.

"Yes, breakfast," Hana quietly replied to Uo. Then she called back, "Yes, I'd like to further investigate the strange waves coming from the Sohma house."

"Hey, hey hey!" Kyo shouted at her. "I don't know about having women around so much," he added once Uo and Hana were gone.

Tohru clasped her hands and said, "Oh, I promise I'll be careful with your secret! Uo-Chan and Hana-Chan are really, r_eally_ good people, so…so…um—"

"Dammit, just do what you want," Kyo said.

"They're your friends Honda-San," Yuki told her. Tohru smiled at both of them.

"Where's Shigure?" Tohru asked.

"I think he went out," Yuki guessed.



It's the beginning of a new banquet. Wherever the journey may lead…

"Since Tohru-Kun came, Yuki and Kyo have matured," Shigure informed Akito. Shigure had stopped by the main Sohma house to chat with Akito Sohma, the head of the family. "I would like to see them continue in that direction. Of course, knowing you, you probably think the whole plan's doomed to fail." Shigure looked over at him. He was lying down on the floor. "I feel sorry for you…Tohru-Kun is a dozen times a better person that you are."

Akito said nothing a moment. "I am well aware of when my glass is half empty," Akito told him.

Whether good or ill will come out of this adventure…even God doesn't know.

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**A/N: Shigure just really BURNED Akito...I've never thought that Akito was really that bad underneath. R&R please! Back with chapter eight probably tomorrow. **


	8. Chapter Eight

**A/N: Chapter Eight! Enter the crossdressing! xD And I don't know what all of that German means...so...either look it up or guess... I think there are translations in the mangas if you own them. **

**A****nyway, happy reading, enjoy, so on so forth. ^_^**

**Disclaimer: I don't own any portion of the awesomeness of Fruits Basket~ (I remembered the disclaimer this time!) **

* * *

At Kaibara High School, it's almost time for the Cultural Festival. The whole school is very excited. Especially Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo's class, 1-D. Yuki and another student were at the front of the room discussing their plan to sell onigiri during the festival.

"We've passed all the sanitation inspections," Yuki told the class. "…so we have permission from the faculty to sell onigiri at the festival. Now we must decide what flavors of onigiri to make."

Tohru was sitting at a table with Uo and Hana. Hana was braiding Uo's hair. Tohru thought that onigiri sounded like a destiny. "I know!" she said just as she thought of something. "Why don't we have three-flavored onigiri? It's fun to have three different tastes in an onigiri!"

Yuki smiled at her. "I like that, I think it's cute," he told her.

Two of the members of the fan club created against Yuki's will started to complain. "Eh?! We shouldn't do that, Sohma-Kun," Minami complained.

"What would happen if someone got chicken, kelp, and plum?"

"EW. That's disgusting," Minami spat.

Uo pulled something out from under the table and stood it up on the two girls' table. "What's really disgusting is your blatant jealousy," Uo said as she glared at them.

The girls looked at what she had stood on the table. "She brought a lead pipe to school!"

"It had bloodstains on it!" Minami screeched.

Kyo leaned back in his chair. "How about we have a battle onigiri?" he suggested.

"Battle?!" A few other guys repeated.

"A one-on-one match," Kyo explained. "Weapons are allowed, but no killing, deliberate blood-spilling, or trying to cut of someone's arm." He clenched his fist. "Defending your honor and your right to eat onigiri in one glorious fight!"

Seven people said, "NO." They glared at him.

"What?! You wanted an idea and I gave you one!" Kyo yelled.

Yuki had been standing, thinking through that. "What about a surprise ingredient?" he suggested. "People who buy three can pick a fourth one. But we'll have surprise fillings in those, so no one will know what flavor they're going to get."

"Make the surprise fillings really weird," someone in the back suggested. It was ignored.

"That's perfect!" someone shouted.

"Eh? That's it…you just agree?" Yuki asked confusedly.

"What the—?" Kyo started to say. "Why are you all going crazy over _his _dumb idea?!"

"It's not that we're crazy about it," Uo answered, "Your idea was just too weird. Who would want an onigiri so much that they'd fight a death match for it?!"

Kyo glared at the wall. "Don't pout, Kyon-Kyon!" another student said to him, putting his hand on Kyo's head. Kyo instantly moved away.

"Don't' call me Kyon-Kyon!"

Yuki turned to the student he was presenting with. "I have to go to a student council meeting," Yuki told her. "Will you decide who brings what?"

"Sure! Just leave it to me!" she replied with a smile. She fixed her glasses.

Apparently, people overheard. "Wait! There's something I want to ask you."

"Yuki-Kun, I have a question!"

"Yeah, yeah."

"Yuki, right here."

Suddenly, all of the talking stopped. Every single person in class 1-D was staring at Kyo. He had six cats clinging to him. Yuki and Tohru were frozen in place. "Aaaaah! Cats!" one girl screamed.

"What?!"

"What the?!"

Kyo sat there, silent. He could hear the cats talking to him. _What's wrong? Meow._

_A fight? Meow._

_Meow._

_Why are you angry? Meow._

_Meow, meow._

Only everybody else could hear the meows. Kyo could hear the words. Tohru looked worried. "Kyo…Kyo-Kun!" she squeaked. Yuki was glaring at him.

Kyo couldn't take it. "I don't care anymore!" he shouted. He stormed out of the room and went to the stairs. When he kicked the door open, all but two cats fell off of him.

"Wait, Kyon-Kyon!" someone shouted. "What's with the cats?! Don't break the door down!"

Other people were shouting, "Yay! Kitties!"

"…What was that?" Uo asked.

"I have no idea," Hana answered.

"What attracted the cats?" Uo wondered. In the front of the room, Yuki sighed very audibly.

"That's…strange…" Hana said slowly.

"Don't worry about it," Uotani told her. "You're pretty strange yourself. Still, he really does have a temper, doesn't he?"

"Indeed," Hana agreed. "He acts like a bad little boy."

Tohru didn't say anything. She was just listening. "He acts the exact opposite of Prince Charming," Uo realized.

Tohru just figured something out. She had an idea of where Kyo might be. Cats like high places. She wandered out of the class, saying that she had to go to the bathroom. She went up to the roof of the school. Tohru climbed up the ladder and she saw Kyo staring up at the sky, just like he does at home. The only difference was, now he had four friends with him.

"I found you!" Tohru shouted. "I knew you'd be here!"

"Wah!" Kyo yelled and sat up. He smiled nervously. "You always sneak up on me…" he chuckled.

"Kyo-Kun, you really like high places, don't you?" Tohru asked. She looked down, and two cats had walked up to her. She kneeled down. "Ah! Hello, Mr. Kitty." She said, picking up the kitten closest to her. He was smaller than her forearm, and Tohru was barely five and a half feet. "It's so cute! Cat's really do like you, don't they?"

There was still a cat clinging to Kyo's shoulder. "Like I'd know," Kyo said. "They just come to me. With the dog it's dogs, with the rat it's rats."

"Wow…how fun!"

"You think it's fun?!" he asked her. "One time when I was going through the mountains with Kagura, we were surrounded by dozens of wild boars! I thought we'd be eaten!" Kyo didn't even laugh, but Tohru did. "Is it that funny?"

Kyo leaned back on his arms while Tohru started to stop laughing. "Anyway, what do you want?" he asked.

"Nothing…" Tohru said. "…I was just worried about you. Don't you want to help get ready for the Culture Fest?" she asked. "Are you angry about something?"

Kyo turned and looked out at the city. "They don't need me," he assumed. "As long as Yuki's there, it'll go fine." Tohru just looked at him. "He's always been smart and witty and good with people. People naturally respect him. They trust him." He paused. "And even though I started martial arts before him, he's a better fighter than I am," he admitted.

On a day when Kyo was about five, and he was playing in the garden outside of the main house. One of the servants said, _"I knew it. Children born in the Year of the Rat are special." _Another servant replied to her, _"Of course he's special. Especially compared to the cat boy…"_

"It's not fair," Kyo told Tohru. "I'm special, too. That punk…" he glared down at the concrete.

At the moment, what Yuki had said before came to her mind. _"Kyo…is the type who attracts others to him. I've often thought that even if he can't be in the zodiac, h_e _might be able to face normal people in a normal body. I've always wished…that I could be like that."_

Tohru thought this through and watched Kyo gaze up at the sky. _So…Sohma-Kun is jealous of Kyo-Kun, and Kyo-Kun is jealous of Sohma-Kun? Even though they have so much respect for each other's qualities…they can't get along._

Tohru thought about that the whole day. She wanted to find a way so that they could get along. Now, she was changing back into her school clothes in the locker room at her work. She didn't understand. She thought that they each had their own wonderful qualities.

Just then, she slipped on a candy wrapper that was on the floor in the hallway in front of the manager's office door. She hadn't picked up her book bag, which she had dropped and glanced in the office. This boy was _not _the manager. There was a boy lounging in a chair laughing at her. He had sunglasses, a hat over slightly curly blond hair, shorts, thigh high socks, combat boots, and a leather jacket. At least, Tohru thought the outfit was kind of strange. And it was kind of strange of him to laugh at her because she fell.

"Oh! Good…evening…" Tohru said to him. She couldn't help but wonder why there was a boy, of what appeared to be a very young age, in this building at night? A book slipped out of her bag with her name on it.

The boy stopped laughing. "Tohru?" he asked. "Eh?! Tohru Honda?!" he asked, surprised.

Tohru answered nervously, "Ah, um, y-yes, that's…right?"

He ripped the sunglasses from his face, and stared at her. "Sieh do!!" he said. "Welch ein Glück!"

_A foreigner?! _Tohru thought nervously. He was speaking in German, so Tohru had no clue what he was saying.

"Sehr Angenehm!"

"Uh…"

"Ich freue mich, Sie zu seheh!" He said with a smile as he stood up and held his arms out. He had his hat now in his hand. The boy had to be at least half a foot shorter than Tohru.

"Um, I'm sorry, I don't speak you're language," Tohru apologized with her hands held up in front of her.

"Sehr hübsch!" The boy said as he leaned over to her and kissed her cheek.

Tohru panicked. She blushed and pulled away. "UH—UM—" She bent down to pick up her book bag. "WAH—EX—" She turned for the door. "Excuse me!" Tohru shouted as she ran off. The boy just stood in the same place and watched her run, sadly.

When Tohru left and was outside, Yuki was waiting for her. He looked over and saw her worried expression. "Honda-San…? What's the matter?" he asked.

Tohru was panting from running so far so fast. " A—A weird f—f—for—!"

"A weird fork?" Yuki asked confusedly. She didn't say anything.

_It was a weird foreigner! He surprised me…he…_kissed _me! _Yuki gave her a wondering look. _Wh—who was he…? _Tohru wondered.

"Honda-San. Did something happen? Did someone…harass you?" Yuki asked worriedly.

Tohru's eyebrows pulled together and she gave a fake smile. "Huh?! No!" she said unconvincingly. She didn't want Yuki to worry. "I—I'm sorry. It was nothing. Um…thank you for always coming to pick me up," she said, trying to change the subject.

"Don't worry about it…" Yuki mumbled slowly. He looked at her, still worried. "If there's anything troubling you, you can tell me about it," he told her. "I'll help you."

Tohru looked up at him. "Thank you…very much…" she said slowly. He just smiled at her. _Sohma-Kun is so kind…and so is…Kyo-Kun, _Tohru thought. But she still didn't understand why they couldn't get along.

The boy that Tohru had seen at work was walking down the street when he saw a flyer. It said: "Kaibara High School - Culture Fest - Everyone come." He picked it up.

"What the hell?!" Kyo stood next to Tohru in the kitchen and over a plate of so much onigiri that it could feed the entire neighborhood. The was molding one with her hair tied back. "Are you planning to open an onigiri shop or something?!"

"Ah! Good morning!" Tohru said, molding an onigiri with her hands. "You're always up early," she noticed.

"Not really," Kyo told her, "It's normal for me." He started to pick up and onigiri.

"Ah! Kyo-Kun that's—" Kyo stopped the onigiri right at his mouth. "—a leek onigiri."

"Why would you make something like that?!" Kyo yelled.

"Er…um…It's for the festival. I was doing research for the surprise onigiri…I'll eat them myself when I'm done," Tohru said. "Kyo-Kun, do you have any suggestions?" Tohru asked with a smile.

"Salmon and cod roe are all that belong in onigiri," he said with his usual annoyed tone. "I'll just make my own." He scooped out a spoonful of rice from the rice cooker and began to mold it into its usual triangular shape. Tohru watched him with wide eyes.

Then her voice exploded. "Kyo-Kun! You're really good at making onigiri!" She smiled at him as she clapped her hands in front of her once.

"Ah?!" Kyo almost dropped it.

"That's great! I never would have guessed!"

Kyo calmed and continued molding. "When I was training, I made my own meals," he explained. "But making it look nice and making it taste good are two different things."

Tohru cocked her head. "…Really?" she asked. He walked towards the living room and she followed. "If you asked someone who was training to prepare onigiri, I think they would be jealous of how well you mold them."

"Like anyone'd train for that!" Kyo replied with his tone. "Honestly, where do you come up with these things?" He walked over to the television and turned it on. He sat on the sofa and watched the news. _'Good morning, it is now 6:15, it's a fine winter morning, and…'_

Tohru stood behind the sofa and put a knuckle to her mouth. _Why…can't he see? _she wondered, staring at Kyo's back. "…Ah," she said quietly to herself. Kyo took a bite of his onigiri. "Maybe it's stuck on his back…"

Kyo turned. "Huh?" he asked quietly.

"If you think of someone's good qualities…" Tohru started. '…as an umeboshi in an onigiri…" she smiled. "…it's as if their qualities are stuck to their back! People around the world are like onigiri," Tohru explained. "Everyone has an umeboshi with a different shape and color and flavor. But because it's stuck on their back, they might not be able to see their umeboshi."

"An onigiri may look at itself and think, _'There's nothing special about me, I'm just white rice…'_, but that's not true, because there's an umeboshi on its back!" Tohru gave a calmed smile, and Kyo thought about that a moment. "Maybe…" Tohru continued, "…the reason people get jealous of each other is because they can see so clearly the umeboshi on other people's backs. I can see them too. I can see them perfectly," she told him. "There's an amazing umeboshi…on _your _back, Kyo-Kun."

Kyo looked over his shoulder. He could only see as far as the top of his shoulder blade. Then he wondered why he was actually looking. Tohru came over and kneeled on the sofa, facing him. "Sohma-Kun is wonderful. Kyo-Kun…is wonderful, too." She gave him a bright smile.

Kyo blushed and his mouth hung open as he stared at her. "Th—that's exactly what I'm talking about!" he told her with a very loud, in a surprised way, voice. "Where do you come up with that stuff?" He honestly did want to know. "And why does it have to be an umeboshi? Some metaphor!" he added.

Tohru froze and stared at him with wide eyes and a small frown. "I—I'm sorry. Should I have used salmon?"

_Twee! _"Ah! Oh…the kettle." Tohru said as she heard the sound. She jumped up and ran to the kitchen to turn it off.

When she walked back into the room, Kyo had just finished eating his onigiri. "…Hey," he said. "You know…there's one on your back, too. An umeboshi." Tohru looked at him blankly. "I can see it."

A smile spread across her face. She still had the thoughts going through her head. Even now, someone might be envying another…for something they don't see in themselves. Tohru's smile grew bigger and she followed him on his way out of the living room. "Really? Really?" she asked excitedly.

"It's a small plum. A_ really_ tiny one," Kyo told her, stretching out the word 'really'.

"I love little plums!"

Someone might be longing for a quality that they already possess. Do the best with the qualities you have, even if you don't know they're there.

"Hey…the frame is shaky," Kyo said holding up a hammer to check the booth. He was down on the balls of his feet with the hammer pointing out from near his forehead.

"Hey, it's not like we're building a house, cat-lover," another student said to him.

"Yeah, cat-lover," another laughed.

"It's fine as long as it doesn't break cat-lover."

"Why the hell do you keep calling me cat-lover?!" Kyo yelled, jumping up. "Are you making fun of me?!" Tohru was sitting at a table with her two friends, sewing. She held back a giggle, and just smiled, afraid if she opened her mouth she would draw attention.

"Oh, we know," the first student to talk said, "You talk tough, but underneath, you're a nice guy who loves animals." Tohru sighed, relieved that the secret was still safe, and Kyo calmed slightly.

Uo put her head down, and Yuki stood next to the table. "He comes back and it gets all noisy," Uo complained. "With his personality, I'd love to see him cut loose at a party."

"He came back without much of a fight. That's unusual…" Yuki said.

Tohru smiled up at him. "That's because Sohma-Kun is Sohma-Kun, and Kyo-Kun is Kyo-Kun!" she said.

Yuki looked at her confusedly. "Huh?"

Uo was still trapped in her little box. "If this keeps up, Orangey'll have a fan club too before long," she said.

Tohru giggled. "That's very possible!"

"Soohmaa-kuunn!" a girl shouted from behind Yuki. He froze, and slowly turned his head. There was a girl and another boy standing in front of him. It looked like the girl was hiding something behind her back from Yuki.

"Senpai…" Yuki said slowly.

The girl giggled. "Actually, we have a present for you, Yuki-Kun. We all pitched in to buy this, hoping you would wear it at the festival." She pulled out the item behind her back. Yuki was frozen, glaring at it. Tohru and Kyo looked at it with wide eyes. Everyone in the class was silent. It was frilly. It had ribbons. It had bows. It had flowers. It was white. It was pink. It was purple. It was…a dress. It almost seemed that they were making fun of his feminine appearance. They wanted Yuki to cross dress.

"Tadaah!" the girl held it up. "A costume especially for Yuki-Kun!"

At the Sohma main house, the Culture Fest flyer laid on the table. "Seriously. Because you showed this to him. Now it's coming back to me," a man said.

"Oh, come on! We'll get to see Yuki and Kyo!" A young and excitable voice said. "You haven't seen them in a while either, right Ha'ri? And Tohru Honda will be there, too. I'm sure you'll like her Ha'ri!"

"Momiji," the man said. "You've met Tohru Honda?" he asked.

"Ja! Sehr hübsch!" the boy said excitedly.

A group of third-year students gathered around the girl holding up the dress. They begged, "Please, Yuki! In memory of the three years we've spent together!" Yuki hadn't been here for a whole one yet…what would he get out of this? Yuki couldn't refuse.

* * *

**A/N: Reviews are appreciated. c:**

**Bis bald! ("see you soon!")**


	9. Chapter Nine

**A/N: This story was the first manga I ever read and the first anime I ever watched (besides Sailor Moon). I'm still only just now moving on to Ouran HSHC, because I'm so absorbed into this story! :D This being my first manga to ever read, there were things I didn't know what they were and I wanted to know what they were like.....so I looked it up....and tried.....**

**....and now I make onigiri _all_ the time :DDD **

**Sorry that had not much to do with this :/**

**Enjoy!! ! ! ! !!!! ! !**

**Disclaimer: I don't own it. Don't ask if I own it. DON'T THINK ABOUT ME OWNING IT. Because I don't. Own. Fruits Basket. But I wish I did c:**

* * *

Already, it's the day of the festival. Tohru and another student were currently running the onigiri sales in the school gymnasium. "Thank you very much!" she said after a buyer left the booth. "This is great!" Tohru told the other girl she was running the booth with. "We're really selling a lot!"

"We might take first place in the food division!" the other girl said excitedly. They were smiling at each other.

"Because onigiri are easy to eat!" Tohru replied.

Hanajima was protecting the stand. She was dressed like a witch, holding a strange weapon in front of her. "W—what are you doing?" a student asked nervously.

"Warding off danger," Hana told her. Saki was just…creative like that.

Tohru stepped out from the booth. A boy from her class walked up with a few other people. "The onigiri you molded taste great, Honda-San! Does the molding of onigiri have anything to do with the taste?" he asked.

"The cat onigiri is adorable!" another girl told her. It was shaped like a normal onigiri, but rounder with points at the top for ears.

"Eh?! Th—that's not…" Tohru had no clue what she was saying. She wasn't used to this much attention. "Thank you so much!" she told them. "I thought about making a rat onigiri, but…" she trailed off, thinking about Yuki when she said that.

"Eww…that would be disgusting. I wouldn't want to eat it," a student said.

Kyo was sitting in front of the onigiri booth, leaning against it, with the cat shaped one in his hand. He glared at it and wondered, _If I eat this, does it make me a cannibal? _He just ate it, it's only rice. Uo sat next to him and yawned. She took a sip from her water bottle.

Tohru, still over by the booth with the group of people, smiled and started to say, "But the one who contributed most to the onigiri sales is—"

"Hey! You can't just take pictures!" A girl shouted from the entrance. Everybody's heads turned. It was the girl who had given Yuki the dress. Guess who was standing next to her wearing the dress? "Can't you tell Yuki doesn't like it?!"

Yuki glared at everyone. He even wore white girl shoes, as the third years had requested. Yuki knew he'd regret this.

"Well, yeah, but he's too cute!"

"Sohma-Kun is the one bringing in all of our customers!"

Yuki still stood there. Earlier, everyone had been coming to class 1-D to see him in the dress. Girls came, boys came, and even a few teachers have stopped by, claiming that they were 'running an errand'. But, as a result, the onigiri have been selling like mad. Yuki sat down and turned his head to see how many people were looking at him. He met eyes with Tohru, who was staring, and quickly looked away.

Tohru looked down. _I feel like he's been avoiding me…even at the house. _"I wonder if I've done something to upset him…" she whispered to herself.

"Aw, leave him alone," Kyo said. Tohru turned to see him and Uo still sitting in front of the booth. Kyo was reading a book. "He's probably just humiliated to be dressed like a girl," he guessed. Kyo turned to look over the booth and at Tohru. He had an evilly playful smile. "He's really self-conscious…" He paused. "…about his pretty face." Kyo ducked his head into his book started to crack up. He had his teeth clenched so he wouldn't be so loud.

Uo put her water bottle to her lips. "Really?" she asked. Tohru looked over to her while Kyo started to calm. "But a lot of people are jealous of his looks. Is that how it is?" She took a sip from her bottle.

"What…should I do?" Tohru asked, nervous. Uo looked at her worriedly. "When I saw him dressed like that…" She started to fan her face with her hands from blushing so much. Her back was facing Kyo and Uo. "…I thought, 'Oh, he's so cute!' but…"

"Don't worry about it," Uo cut her off, looking sorry for her. "Most people think so."

Kyo still had the evil smile. "That's right. No matter how you look at him, makes a pretty girl," he said, with a few evil laughs.

_But Sohma-Kun is really hurt right now, _Tohru wanted to continue, _and he's still dressing like a girl for everyone. He really is…very kind._

"Du leiber Himmel!" a boy shouted over by where Yuki was standing. Yuki's eyes widened and the boy pounced on his back, almost knocking Yuki over. Tohru's head swung over, as well as a few others.

Yuki looked up and over his shoulder at him confusedly. "Yuki, why do you look like a mädchen?" the boy asked.

"Wh—what the—?" a student stuttered.

Tohru gasped. _That's the boy who kissed me on the cheek the other night! _she noticed. Same curly blonde hair and purple hat, same light brown eyes, the strange outfit. This time, a light pink winter coat, shorts, and knee high socks.

Kyo was on his feet now, standing next to Tohru. "What's _he _doing here?" he asked with wide amber eyes.

Tohru jumped at his voice, but looked at Kyo over her shoulder. "You know him, Kyo-Kun?!"

"Momiji," a deeper, but young, voice said from the entrance. The boy, who must me Momiji, jumped off of Yuki's back and stood in front of the man, who had just come in to Tohru's view. The man was tall. He had dark brown, almost black hair. His eyes were the same color. He had bangs covering only his left eye, straight down, not coming from the side. "Don't wander around by yourself," he told Momiji. He seemed like a sober man. Easily looking over Momiji's head, the man looked at Yuki. "Hey. You look well, Yuki." The man looked over to Tohru and Kyo. "Kyo," he greeted boringly.

"Ha—" Yuki was about to say, but apparently, people were still taking in Momiji, who had been smiling the entire time since he got here.

"He's so cute!"

"A friend of yours, Yuki-Kun?!"

"So handsome!" one girl said, looking at the man.

"Guten tag!" Momiji said in German. He took of his hat and bowed. "I'm Momiji Sohma. I'm half German, half Japanese! And this is Hatori Sohma," Momiji said, looking up at the man. "We're relatives of Yuki and Kyo!" he said excitedly.

"Is this true, Kyo-Kun?!" Tohru asked, unable to believe it. Momiji threw his hat back onto his head and smiled, as everyone kept chattering about him.

"Yeah," Kyo said with, as usual, an annoyed tone, glaring at Hatori. "Hmph. Forget about Momiji, what is _Hatori _doing here?"

Tohru was slow in processing Kyo's answer, and her mouth hung wide open now. _This is such a coincidence! _Tohru thought._ I met a Sohma without even knowing it! _she realized, remembering that night after work. _It's no wonder Momiji-San was also surprised! _Tohru wondered if Momiji and Hatori were members of the zodiac…

Momiji walked away with a group of people. Yuki and Hatori just looked at each other. "That being said, Yuki," Hatori started, "When did you become a woman?" he asked, glancing again at his dress.

Yuki smiled and narrowed his eyes, annoyed, clearly. "How dare you say that after you've seen me naked so many times…"

The small group of girls that were still over by them gasped and almost fell over. "EH?! Wah! Yuki-Kun, does that mean…"

"NO! It can't be! …Can it?"

"Sohma, you…Are you?!" a guy asked, strangely standing with a mob of girls.

"No," Yuki said quickly, before it could get any worse. Hatori pulled out a black leather bag and pulled out a stethoscope. "He's my doctor." Most were relieved, some disappointed.

"Take a deep breath." Hatori put the end of the stethoscope to Yuki's chest, or tried to. He paused and looked at Yuki. "These clothes…how do you take them off?"

"You don't have to examine me _here_," Yuki said, standing up from the chair that Hatori had told him to sit in before. Tohru watched them concernedly, only feet away.

"Well, I wouldn't have to if you'd just come to your monthly check-up, like promised," Hatori reminded him.

Tohru couldn't help herself. She ran over to them. "Sohma-Kun, are you sick?"

Yuki looked up at her. "Eh…oh, no." He didn't want her to worry.

"Yuki has weak bronchial tubes," Hatori explained, continuing to examine him. "When he was little, he'd have attacks all the time." Hatori finished and packed up. He rose to his feet. "You're Tohru Honda-Kun?" he guessed.

"Ah…yes," she answered. "Nice to meet you."

"…I see," Hatori said, crossing his arms. "You really are a _normal _girl."

"Hatori!" Yuki snapped.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted from the onigiri. "Don't climb on the booth!"

"Was?" Momiji asked. He had one onigiri in his mouth and another in his hand. He was on the booth, just as accused.

"What are you doing you idiot?!"

"Momiji," Yuki said, shaking his head and looking down.

"Don't walk on it!" Tohru shouted pleadingly as she started to run over.

"Why did you come here?" Yuki asked once Tohru was out of distance of hearing him.

"If you've got a problem with it, tell Momiji," Hatori answered. "He's the one who showed me the flyer." He paused. "When Akito saw it, he said that he was going to come, too."

"Wha?!" Yuki was surprised about this.

"He had a fever of one hundred-two, though, so as his doctor, I put a stop to it. But I had to come in his place…" He looked over at Momiji. "…as Momiji's chaperone."

"You're not doing a very good job," Yuki informed. Everyone was gathered around the booth and yelling about Momiji doing another crazy stunt.

"I would rather have come some evening when there wasn't so many people around," Hatori said. He glared down at Yuki, frowning. "Don't worry. I didn't come to do anything to Tohru Honda." Yuki narrowed his eyes. "Akito is the one who makes that decision. However I will say this," Hatori looked forward. "You won't get very far if you try to threaten me in that outfit."

Yuki looked away from him angrily. "Thank you," he said sarcastically. "So much."

Tohru was hiding halfway behind the curtain that was behind the booth. She looked worriedly at Momiji. Kyo knocked Momiji on the head. "All right, now you're going to stay here and be quiet!" he shouted. "Or go home!"

Momiji burst into tears like a little kid. "Kyo…hit—me!" He said in between sobs.

"K—Kyo-Kun…"

Momiji's tears stopped suddenly, and he smiled and whirled around to Tohru, who was still hiding slightly. "Tohru! It's Tohru!" he said excitedly. How are you, how are you? I came here to see you! Where were you?" he asked, never stopping his words until he'd said all that he wanted to say.

"Um, well, I've been here for a while…" Tohru said quietly. Apparently he hadn't noticed her earlier. "Hello…you're from the Sohma family, right?" she confirmed.

"Ja! We've had a fateful encounter before!" Momiji smiled. Kyo's eyes widened.

"You've met before…?" Kyo asked confusedly.

Tohru just stood there with a nervous smile. Momiji answered without hesitation. "We met at Papa's building!" he told Kyo. "Papa's the manager of that building, so I play there a lot!"

"Eh?!" Tohru gaped at Momiji, turning her head right next to her to face him. "Really?! I've been cleaning a Sohma building this whole time?!"

Momiji laughed. "Tohru's so dumb!" he said playfully.

"Hey…" Kyo warned.

Tohru noticed that when Yuki came to pick her up, he never mentioned anything. Yuki hadn't known anymore than she did about the building.

"Hey, hey, Tohru!" Momiji said. "You know about the zodiac thing, right?" he asked excitedly.

Tohru looked at him nervously. "Uh, yes," she answered, making it sound like a question.

"Then I can hug you!" Momiji screamed, leaning in to hug her.

Kyo glared at him and grabbed Momiji by the back of his head just in time. "Hold it, lover-boy."

"But she won't mind if I transform, right?" Momiji asked.

"That's not the problem! Think of where we are!" Kyo shouted.

Tohru smiled. _He said, 'I can hug you.' That means—_ She gasped and smiled even wider. _He really _is _one of the Chinese zodiac! _

Momiji was getting angrier by the second. "Are you hogging Tohru because she's so cute?!" he yelled at Kyo. "I bet Kyo hugs her every day!"

Kyo's face started to burn in less than a second. "You stu—! Who would want to—?!"

"My turn!" Momiji said as he leaned forward and embraced Tohru. Tohru gasped and looked down at the top of his head that almost reached her shoulder. Before anyone could speak or think, there was a loud boom, smoke clouded everywhere near them, and Momiji had transformed.

When everyone's heads turned, they saw the curtain, of which the three of them were now behind, blow up two feet off the ground. "Wh—what was that?!"

"An explosion?!"

"Tohru?!"

"Hey, what happened?"

Tohru sad on the ground with her knees bent, and a rabbit sat on top of her knees. Momiji. Tohru's face was a mixture of panic, surprise, and embarrassment. Kyo's was the same. Tohru had no voice.

Everyone peeked around the curtain and looked at the two of them and Momiji. Yuki and Hatori were still standing where they were before it happened, staring in shock.

"Eh?"

"Huh? What's with the rabbit?"

"Where's Momiji-Kun?!"

_This is terrible!_ Kyo and Tohru both thought.

"Hey! These are Momiji-Kun's clothes!" The fan club member with the blond pigtails rushed next to Tohru and picked up the pink coat.

Tohru had changed the way she was sitting, and Momiji was now clinging to her hair, starting to climb to the top of her head.

"Eh? No way. What happened?!" another girl panicked. "Did she explode?!" she asked shakily.

"That's weird. Why would Momiji just take off his clothes and wander away? And that rabbit…where did it come from?"

"Something strange is going on…"

"What happened, Tohru?!"

"It's too weird!"

"Say something, Honda-San!"

Yuki needed to do something. "Weird?" he asked in a soft voice. He clasped his hands and put them to his chest, and brought a few fake tears to his eyes. "In that case…I too…am weird." He looked down with a "sad" face. "Because here I am, dressed like this…" he continued, "…and you're all going on about rabbits. It must not suit me after all…"

Two guys rushed up to him, the entire group coming, also. "You idiot! You're the best Sohma!" one guy shook him by his shoulders while he shouted.

"If you were really a girl, we wouldn't leave you alone," the second guy said.

"Yeah!" the first agreed. "You look incredible!"

"You're so lovely!"

"…Thanks…?" Yuki looked horrified at what these _guys _were saying to him.

"No matter how I look at you, all I see is a woman!"

"Believe in yourself!"

Tohru knew that now they were completely distracted and ran off, carrying Momiji. Hatori and Kyo followed behind her, and they all rushed outside and onto the roof and into the cold night.

"Damn idiot! Does he even know what he's doing?!" Kyo shouted.

"But, but—! They're scary, Tohru!" Momiji complained.

"Don't go crying to her!" Kyo put his hands on his hips.

"So you're the rabbit…" Tohru said, trying to change the subject, and terribly failing.

"Seriously, you're lucky Yuki threw them off," Kyo said to him. "He's always trying to steal the spotlight with his looks." Yuki slowly and quietly walked outside, glaring at Kyo the whole way. "I don't care what he says. I think Yuki likes—"

Kyo flew up into the air and landed on the concrete. Yuki stood over him with his fists clenched. "Want me to send you higher?" Yuki growled.

"Damn rat…" Kyo muttered, squeezing the bridge of his nose to stop bleeding just in case it came.

Yuki leaned down to Tohru, but looked at Momiji, on top of her head. "Momiji, you have to be careful," he warned with a calmer voice. "You need to think about repercussions, Momiji. Now, we had best be going," he said, standing up.

"Aw…so _soon_?!" Momiji whined. "But I still wanna talk to Tohru!"

"I don't mind if you stay," Tohru said to him, frowning sadly. She looked straight at Yuki, almost pleadingly, while she said it.

"You promised that if there were any problems, you'd come home immediately," Hatori reminded.

"Go home," Kyo begged.

"Ha'ri, you're so boring," Momiji cried.

"Oh, I almost forgot something important," Hatori said. "Yuki, Kyo, line up over there." He nodded towards the wall. Yuki and Kyo stood in front of it side by side, as he'd asked. "I want a concise answer." They waited. "What is two plus one?"

Yuki and Kyo didn't even need to think. Knowing they wouldn't need to, Hatori's timing was even better. "Three?" they said. It forced a smile on their face because of the pronunciation. All part of Hatori's plan. Hatori pulled a camera out of his bag and a camera light flashed. A little too late, their faces dropped.

"Akito told me to take a picture of you two," Hatori said as he put the camera away. Hatori walked over to Tohru, and let Momiji onto his shoulder. "This is a great portrait. Later."

"Bis bald!" Momiji waved back at them.

"Hatori!" Kyo growled as he walked away. "Wait, dammit! Give me that camera!" Kyo sprinted after them.

Yuki sat down. "My life is over," he mumbled. Tohru looked over at him. It was no longer a joke for him. "What will Akito say...when he sees me in this outfit?" He was fed up with it. He started to take off the jacket to the dress.

Tohru sped over to him. "Kyaah! Sohma-Kun you'll catch cold! Your tractor—I mean trachea—"

"My trachea will be fine," he told her. "It's harder to endure wearing this outfit…" he added.

"B—but everyone was so happy…"

"Guys don't like being called cute." Yuki never took the jacket completely off and it hung over half of his head and face.

"I'm sorry," Tohru apologized with a shaky voice, "I'm as guilty as everyone else. I thought you were cute, too." She looked away from him to hide embarrassment.

Yuki was looking down. "I didn't want you to see me either, Honda-San. In this ridiculous—" he cut himself off. "I look like an idiot," he rephrased. "I really should have told them no."

"Uh, um, but, I was so happy when my mom told me I was cute!" Tohru smiled. "Because it meant she was saying, 'I love you so much!'" They're words of love. "It made me happy," she told him. But, she won't hear her say that…ever again. "So, everyone is saying that they like you, Sohma-Kun…uh, um, you see? Uh—I know it probably sounds like I'm trying to rationalize it, and I know I'm not really making sense…" she trailed off.

"No…it's strange, Yuki said. The actual dress had fallen down a little past his shoulders. "I don't mind so much when you say it, Honda-San," he admitted. He chuckled. "Well, maybe I'll keep up the fan service a little longer. For the sake of the onigiri sales. But before that…could you help me with this?" He tugged at the jacket, still over his head. "My hair's caught on a button."

Tohru started to untangle. "This dress is so complicated! It's as hard to take off as it is to put on." She almost had it.

"I think it would look good on you, Honda-San." Yuki smiled, but it was hidden while Tohru got it untangled.

Tohru laughed at the thought. "No, I couldn't. It's beautiful. It's like a princess dress!" She pulled the jacket off his head and untangled his hair for him.

"You're cute," he said. "On you, Honda-San, I'm sure it'd be very pretty." He looked up. She looked at him, and he stood up, not erasing his smile. "Thank you." He held the jacket and asked, "Should we go back to the classroom?"

"Uh…" was all she could manage. He walked off, thinking that she was going to follow back into the school.

Tohru's mind was racing. _I-I don't know what to say! I don't know whether to fell shocked, moves, flattered or upset! I don't know what's going on, but Sohma-Kun thinks I'm _cute_?! _She was making a huge deal out of this at the moment. Her hands pressed against the sides of her head. She sat there for a moment. Eventually, she remembered where Yuki and Kyo were, and decided to go back so they wouldn't wonder where she was.

"Did you get the camera back?" Yuki asked Kyo. Tohru walked through the doorway.

Kyo was lounging in a chair. "Shut up. No."

"Oh, yeah, Honda-San," Yuki said, turning his head. She's not as quiet as she thinks.

"Y-yes?!" she asked nervously.

"I know this might sound odd, but…it's about Hatori," he said. Yuki's face was now extremely serious. "If you ever meet him again, try not to be left alone with him." Yuki turned his head forward again. "Well…Hatori himself isn't all bad. But remember the incident I told you about, the day my secret was discovered? The one who suppressed all their memories...was Hatori." Tohru's eyes grew wide. "I was a little worried, I thought I should tell you," he said.

The school P.A. turned on, and all of them were silent. "Paging Tohru Honda-San from class 1-D, Tohru Honda-San from class 1-D. Please come to the conference room on the first floor immediately. I repeat, Tohru Honda-San from class 1-D."

"Me?!"

"I wonder what it is…" Yuki said.

"Well, um, I—I'll be right back!" she said, running out of the room. Once she was almost to the stairs, she slowed to a power walk. Yuki's words ran and ran through her head. She never thought she could possibly meet someone who could do such a thing. She walked into the conference room.

Sitting in a chair, smoking a cigarette…was Hatori. "Hello," he said with a small smile. Tohru jumped. '_The one who suppressed all their memories was Hatori.' _"I'm sorry for calling you here like this," he apologized. "Kyo seemed to have his hands full, but with Yuki there, I didn't think I'd have a chance to speak with you in private." Tohru had been warned. And here she was.

Hatori set down his cigarette and stood up. "Here's my address." He held out a small, folded slip of paper. "Come visit me on your next day off. I would like to talk to you at a length, about something important. Please don't mention it to Yuki or Kyo. I think you know what this is about."

Tohru looked up at him after taking the address. Her eyes grew wide as the words kept running. '_The one who suppressed all their memories was Hatori. Suppressed… suppressed… suppressed…' _The word played in her head like a broken record.

She clenched her fists. _What do I do? If I don't go will he just suppress my memories anyway?! B—but it might be something really important. _Tohru remembered Kyoko tell her not to be mistrusting. "…O—okay!" she squeaked out nervously.

"Excellent," Hatori said. He put out his cigarette. "You might even get to meet Akito, as well."

"EH?!"

Tohru felt arms around her waist. "Keine Sorge!" Momiji said. "I'll be there to make sure Ha'ri doesn't do anything dirty! So come on, Tohru!" He smiled.

"Look, you—" Hatori started.

Momiji stood next to her. "Tohru is a mädchen. She'd be scared to be left alone with a man."

_H—he's been listening?! Well, if Momiji-San is going to be there, I feel a little better. _

A surprise summons from Hatori Sohma. Tohru can't help but wonder what he wants to so badly talk to her about.

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**A/N: A little bit of R and a little bit of and and a little more of R. :D Thanks to the people who have...**

**...and I'll be back...._WITH CHAPTAHS_ D ****....Okay sorry that was weird....**


	10. Chapter Ten

**A/N: I realized that I probably can't update every day or so. If I do, I'll be caught up on here and it will take a week to update everytime because I have to write it. So I might not update as often as we're getting closer to the end...Even though there's still 14 chapters to go...I'm actually working on the last chapter right now! So...either that or I'll have to write faster... :D**

**ALSO: Don't take the first sentence too literally. **

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. **

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Kyo burst through the paper door. "Hey!" he said, for once, nervous. "She left the house again! I can't find her anywhere!" he panicked.

"Hm?" Shigure set down his cup and looked up at him. "Tohru said she was going to a friend's house. It's no secret," he told him. "She announced it at dinner last night, remember?"

Yuki leaned his head on his hand with his elbow up on the table. "Really?" Kyo asked.

"Can't you even listen to people when they're talking?" Yuki asked tiredly.

"Shut up!" Kyo's voice rose at those two words. "It's _her _fault for not going out more often." He walked away, his face tinted pink. He clenched his teeth and sighed through them.

"It just goes to show how much a part of this house Tohru-Kun has become. Where is the flower of our humble home?" Shigure said. He smiled.

"What was that?" Yuki's eyes narrowed as he said it.

"What are you, stupid?!" Kyo shot.

Tohru stood at the front gate of the Sohma estate. She looked at the plaque with the family name on it. "It's so grand…" she muttered to herself. _The Sohmas really are an important family. _she thought. As promised, she didn't tell anyone about this visit. She told Shigure, Yuki, and Kyo that she was going to a friend's house.

Tohru adjusted her scarf. "Tohru!" she heard a young voice shout. Instinctively, she screamed, having no idea at the moment where the voice had come from, even though she recognized it. Her head snapped up, and at least ten feet above her, Momiji was sitting at the top of the gate.

"Mo—Momi—Loo—Look ou—L—Loo—o—" she stuttered. She meant, 'Momiji, look out'.

"You're right on time, come in!" he said to her. Momiji jumped down behind the gate. He opened it from the other side and held his arms wide open. "Welcome to the Sohma estate!" he told Tohru. "Ha'ri lives over here," he told her as he started to walk down a rock path. Tohru followed, amazed at the beauty.

The grounds were huge. It was quiet, as if no one lived there, like its own little town. The atmosphere, though, was definitely _not _good on Tohru's nerves. As Tohru followed Momiji to Hatori's home, which Momiji had just mentioned was separate from the main house, a small figure watched from their window.

Momiji lead all the way to Hatori's house, and they walked in through the already open door. "I'm glad you're here," Hatori said in a serious tone. Tohru's nerves were exhausting her, and she leaned over, panting. "Was it that long a trek?" Hatori asked.

"No…" Tohru told him. She straightened. "Hello. Um…I'm sorry…! I didn't bring anything!" she apologized.

"Don't worry about it," Hatori told her. "Momiji, get us something to drink," he requested.

"Ja!" Momiji called back happily, as he ran off to the kitchen.

"Sit wherever you like," Hatori offered, walking off the same way as Momiji.

Tohru took a seat on a small mat that was in front of his desk. There were shelves behind his desk. There was a picture on the third shelf next to a vase of flowers. A woman was in the picture. She had chin-length light brown hair, and dark eyes, like Hatori's. Her hair was parted right in the middle.

Tohru didn't expect Hatori to have a picture of a woman. She definitely was too young to be his mother. She looked only a year or two younger than him. To her, Hatori seemed so solemn. Every word he said sounded angry. Tohru tensed and grabbed the fabric of her skirt. She gasped, thinking, _Could it be that the important thing that he wanted to talk about was…my incompetence?! _

Momiji appeared next to her, holding out a mug of hot liquid. By the way he looked; Momiji knew that something was up. "Tohru? Tohru, are you sick? Should we have Ha'ri examine you?"

"I—I—It's all right, I'm fine!" she said a tad bit too quickly. At least it wasn't anything that a check-up could fix. Hatori walked in and sat at his desk with hot tea, too, and Momiji turned to him.

"Hatori-San, you're a doctor, right?" he asked excitedly. "Don't you have an office at a hospital?"

Hatori set down his mug and looked up. "Ah? Oh. I don't work at a hospital." He looked at Tohru. "I'm the Sohma family doctor; I don't examine anybody outside of the family," he told her. "Well, half of it is taking care of Akito." He smiled. Of course, the head of the family needed special care. "You could say he specializes in getting sick."

_Akito must have a weak body, _Tohru assumed. Tohru was sitting facing the open backdoor now, and she looked through. Momiji was lying down on his stomach beside her. "It's quiet, isn't it?" Tohru noticed.

"Today, the people "inside" are at the inner gate, preparing for the New Year's celebration," Momiji explained. "New Year's is the biggest even of the year!" he reminded her with a bright smile. "Even "outside" people help. Everyone's really busy," he told her.

Tohru was slightly lost. "Inside? Outside?" she asked wonderingly.

Momiji gasped and smiled up at her. "Remember that tree lined road you took to the main house?" Tohru remembered. There was a small path in between them, and houses on the other sides of the trees. Then at the end of the path was the main gate, where the "inside" is. "All of the people who live along that are Sohmas. "Outside", there's about ein hundert…" he estimated. "…one hundred people. "Inside there should be about fifty."

Tohru had never heard of anything like it. "Really?! Th—that's amazing!"

"It is?"

"Well, it's not exactly common," Hatori reminded.

Tohru felt out of place. This is an entire world that she, Tohru Honda, your ordinary orphan, would probably never see. She looked down.

"People who live "inside"," Hatori continued, "are people like us, and people who know our secret. Shii-Chan and Yuki used to live on the "inside" too. But Kyo lived "outside"." Hatori looked over at Momiji. "When you grow up, you can have a house and live "outside" like Shii-Chan."

Hatori sighed and leaned back in his chair. "Turning it around…" Tohru lifted her head. "…that means there are few people who know about the secret, even inside the family. It's unthinkable that a complete stranger like you should know such a secret. Normally, I would have suppressed their memories immediately."

Tohru widened her eyes and looked at him, scared. _'The one who suppressed all their memories was Hatori…Suppressed….suppressed…'_ the words ran.

"But Akito didn't give that order, and even allowed you to live with them," Hatori said. You could tell that he was annoyed by it just by the tone of his voice. "I've been thinking about that, and I've come to a conclusion," he stated.

"C—conclusion?" Tohru asked nervously.

"Do you enjoy living at Shigure's house?" he asked her.

"Yes! Very much!" she said without a thought. She loved it there.

"It think it's best..." Hatori wheeled his chair over to where her and Momiji were sitting on the floor. "…if you leave that place. Do not involve yourself with the Sohma family anymore."

"Oh--," she tried to say. Hatori kept going.

"I'm sure Shigure didn't make clear the gravity of our condition. The Sohma family continues to be possessed by vengeful spirits. It's not the fun and games you might think." His words became angrier. "It's bizarre. Sinister. Cursed."

Tohru watched his serious face. "Before you regret getting involved with the Sohma, get out." Tohru's eyes widened, and she was speechless. "Akito is trying to use you," Hatori warned her.

There was a ring from the doorbell. "Wait here, I'll be just a moment," Hatori said, walking out. Tohru had never seen Momiji look so sad, nor did she expect it. He seemed like such a happy and optimistic person. And what Hatori said about her being used by Akito…only confused her further. After a long silence, Momiji looked up at her.

"About Ha'ri…" Momiji said quietly, "…he's almost blind in his left eye." Tohru remembered seeing his left eye. He only had bangs over that one.

"How?" Tohru asked just as quietly.

"Ha'ri used to have a girlfriend. Her name was Kana," he told her. "She was his assistant." Momiji stood up to open the back door. "She was a very sweet person. Even when she found out Ha'ri was possessed by a vengeful spirit, she laughed and said she didn't care." The picture must have been of her.

_So Hatori _is _one of the zodiac! _Tohru thought. She smiled. At least, until she heard the rest of the story.

"They were engaged to be married. But…Akito got mad." Momiji sat down on the edge of the porch. "He got really mad and went into a rage. He wouldn't allow their marriage. And he hurt Ha'ri's eye." Momiji looked out at the estate. "But Ha'ri didn't blame Akito. Instead, Kana blamed herself. She kept agonizing, saying that it was her fault Ha'ri's eye got hurt. Eventually, she got heartsick."

"So, Ha'ri erased Kana's memories. He couldn't watch her fall apart," Momiji's sad voice broke on the last word. "So he erased the time when they loved each other. Kana left. Poor Ha'ri…" Momiji trailed off.

"He cried…but, he didn't blame Akito."

"Why?" Tohru asked. _It must have been painful…_she assumed.

Momiji looked at the ground. "Because that…is part of the curse," he told her. "That's why, I don't know what Akito is thinking, but I understand a little of how Ha'ri feels. Ha'ri doesn't want to send Tohru away like Kana."

Tohru's eyes got watery. He didn't want to get rid of her. "He doesn't want…Tohru to be hurt like Kana was," Momiji said.

Tohru looked down and tears fell on her knees. Momiji turned to see her reaction. "Eh?! Are you crying? Why?" he asked. Momiji rushed over to her and kneeled down in front of her so he was at her eye level. Tohru had her face in her hands. "Did…Did I make Tohru cry…? Sorry…I'm sorry." Tears even almost came to his own eyes.

"No…that's not it," Tohru said as she brought her hands down. "Hatori-San is…too kind a person."

Hatori even heard her say that as he was walking down the hallway back into the office. He stopped before he was through the entrance.

Tohru was crying because he was worried about her, even though he was the one who needed kindness, now. "I'm glad..." Tohru said as she closed her eyes. "I'm just so glad that I got to meet everyone." Tears of hers kept falling. "Even if I am being used for some purpose…giving me the life I have now, I want to say thank you."

Hatori's guest smiled, standing behind him. Hatori had the same expression.

"I will never regret that I got involved. I never could," Tohru said. "I'm the way I am now…because of Sohma-Kun and the others."

Momiji looked up at her with sad eyes. "What about me…?" he asked. "Are you happy you met me?"

"Of course!"

Momiji smiled warmly. "Tohru is like a mutti, she makes me feel safe!" he said, using his German.

"It's all right," someone said from behind Hatori. Shigure leaned over to look at them from behind him. "We didn't get you involved in our mess intending to hurt you Tohru-Kun." Shigure smiled. "And we're not using you," he added quickly.

Tohru looked up at him, wildly surprised. "Sh—Shigure-San?!" Momiji just smiled brightly and waved.

Shigure stepped out from behind Hatori and walked over to them. "Anyway, Hatori exaggerates." He put his hands on his hips and added, "And he likes to boss people around," which had nothing to do with the subject.

"Wh—why did you come here?" Tohru asked.

"Intuition! Intuition, my dear Tohru-Kun!" He did the 'L' chin pose as usual. "A novelist must have a sharp sixth sense!"

"Stop lying," Hatori said. "You just came to see how preparations for New Year's were going. And then to see Akito."

"Average people always envy genius."

"Would you just stop living like a jellyfish?"

Tohru looked at Momiji, expecting something. "They act like that but they really are friends," he assured her. He was still smiling excitedly and happily as usual.

Shigure wagged a finger at Hatori. "Haa-San, if you worry too much, you'll go bald you know." Hatori just looked at him. "I keep telling you Akito doesn't mean any harm, but you won't trust me even a little. And you're even scaring Tohru-Kun," he said accusingly. "What would you do if she really left?"

Hatori looked down and started to walk away, but stopped when Tohru's voice interrupted. "Um, I'm…it's okay. Thank you so much for worrying about me," she said. "But I still want to live there…" she trailed off.

"Here." Hatori turned and balanced a small silver camera on the top of her head. "I'm giving this to you before I forget. It's the camera I used at the festival."

"Eh?! Why?!"

Hatori looked at her like she was mad. "Why…?" He didn't understand what she meant. "Wasn't that the agreement?" he asked confusedly. "That if you came here I would give you the camera?"

_He…he never said that! _She ran through everything he had said at the festival. He never said anything about the camera.

"What's in the camera? Huh? Huh? What is it?" Shigure asked excitedly.

"Quiet, you hack." Hatori looked over at Momiji, who…Guess what? Was still smiling. And he looked over to Tohru. "Oh…you still haven't met Akito," he realized.

"Ah, it's no good," Shigure said. Tohru took the camera off her head, not wanting to drop it, and held it in her hands. "I went to see him earlier and got shooed away. I guess he's in a bad mood."

Tohru instantly panicked, as she did at anything. "Ah! Oh, um! P—please, don't worry about it! More importantly, Hatori-San, you're one of the Chinese zodiac, right?!" Hatori gave a short quick nod. "Which year are you?" Tohru asked excitedly.

There was a long, long silence. Momiji and Shigure started to giggle. Then they burst out laughing.

"That's a great question, Tohru-Kun!" Shigure said in between laughs. "Oh wow, this is really going to be goo—"

"Shigure…" Hatori growled, appearing behind him. His words rushed out, "I will tell everyone in the publishing industry everything I know about you. Starting from when you were four years old…"

"Sorry, Tohru-Kun! My lips are sealed," Shigure apologized quickly.

"You know she's going to find out someday!" Momiji laughed.

"No! And you, stop asking stupid questions."

"Y—yes sir." Tohru misunderstood. Was there a…funny zodiac sign?

Hatori stood face to face with Tohru now. "I'm sorry," he apologized. "…about today. I kept making you cry, didn't I?"

Shigure and Momiji looked over slightly, and Tohru gave a small smile. Hatori couldn't help it, he smiled, too.

Soon after, Shigure and Tohru left to go back home. Hatori stood with his arms crossed, and Momiji waved childishly.

After they were outside of the gate, Shigure spoke. "That Hatori," he said. "Calling you out here like that and causing trouble…" he shook his head. "But he's not a bad guy, really."

Tohru walked alongside Shigure and kept pace. "Yes…" she said slowly, a smile spreading across her face. "He seems like a very kind person."

She felt terrible about what had happened to Hatori. _I…changed the subject from Akito-San, even though Hatori-San seemed fine when he said his name. _Tohru didn't think he'd feel comfortable talking about him. Akito had hurt him, and made him almost completely blind in one eye. _Does he like him? Is he afraid of him?_ As Hatori said, _'That is part of the curse.'_

The trees rustled behind them, and Tohru turned her head to look behind her while Shigure continued walking. She saw an adult figure with his eyes narrowed, staring at her. He rested his head on the window sill and an arm of his hung out of the window. Tohru stared, as he glared back. He stood up and walked away from the window, but Tohru couldn't move.

"Tohru-Kun!" Shigure called, at least thirty feet apart from her now. "If we get separated, you'll get lost," he warned her. It was a rather large estate, even the "outside". Tohru staggered backwards a few steps, without turning, and paused again, staring at the window. Tohru didn't know who she'd just seen, but she thought she had an idea.

Shigure turned again, noticing the lack of tapping footsteps. "Tohru-Kun?"

Tohru still stood frozen. "Shigure-San…" She whipped her head around to look at him confusedly, with her eyebrows pulled together. "What is the curse?" Barely a pause, and she gasped. She turned around all the way to face him. "Do…Do I have to do anything?" she asked nervously.

Shigure smiled. "You just need to be _you_." She looked at him. "As for the rest…I think it's still too early to tell you. I'm sorry," he apologized.

Tohru didn't say a word, but on the way home, she couldn't help but keep running through all that was happening so quickly. _The Sohma family. I feel like I've learned a lot, and yet, I haven't learned a thing. I have a strange feeling about today. Will the day ever come when I understand everything about the Sohmas, good and bad? _she wondered. _The day when…I meet _him_?_ She remembered the guy at the window in the main house as she was leaving with Shigure. Was that…Akito?

In only a few minutes, as it felt to Tohru, they stepped through the door and into their dining room. Yuki was sitting down, slumped over the table with his arms scattered about. Kyo was lying next to the table, his feet under.

"…It's true," Shigure said. "A kotatsu can even put little devils to sleep. He looked down at them. He went over and shook both of them a few times. "Hey, you two, wake up. Don't you want dinner?" Neither of them moved.

Tohru smiled slightly and watched the three. _Worrying won't help, _she thought to herself. _Whatever will be, whatever will be. Whatever won't, won't. That's life. _She held back a giggle, noticing that Shigure was definitely rubbing off on her. _Que será será, _she told herself.

Tohru watched Yuki and Kyo sleep peacefully. _That's right. No matter what, the way I feel about them won't change, _she knew. _And the days I live in this house, are precious, precious days._

Shigure stifled a laugh, coming back from the kitchen. Tohru hadn't noticed that he left. He held something behind his laugh. He held them out and whispered excitedly, "Let's stick roots up their noses!"

"We…We can't!" Tohru whispered back worriedly. "Th—that would hurt!"

"Okay, then leeks," he decided, giggling.

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**A/N: Roots up the nose...OW...**

**R+R :D**

**_NicholeRose: _I think I forgot to answer one thing....Yes! I've read the entire manga! ^.^**


	11. Chapter Eleven

**A/N: Okay, so I've been reading over some of this. I've realized that I need to change this in the future: Kyo doesn't really yell that much. Most of what he says early on is loud, but not always a _yell._ Right?**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. **

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_The girl called Tohru Honda…She doesn't think like most people. She readily accepted the fact that we turn into animals. She's been through more hardships than most high school girls…and yet, she's always smiling. It's been four months since she's started living with Shigure, Kyo, and me. But there's still something I haven't grasped, _Yuki admitted to himself.

"We're not going back!" Kyo shouted from across the table. "You think someone who left home four months ago would go back just because it's New Year's?!"

Yuki squeezed his eyes shut in frustration. "If I went home to attend a banquet, there'd be no point in having left."

"We're not going back!" Kyo yelled again.

"Dear, oh dear…" Shigure mumbled nervously. He rolled his eyes and scratched his head.

"What's wrong?" Tohru asked. She came around the corner with food. "You seem to have been arguing for a while," she said nervously.

Shigure was pretending to cry, for effect of his words. "Listen, Tohru-Kun! They say they won't go back to the Sohma estate for New Year's!" he whined.

"You're too old to be tattling!" Kyo yelled.

"You're not going home?" Tohru asked the boys disappointedly. "But Momiji said that New Year's festivities are a major event for the Sohma family."

Shigure smiled. "Indeed. It's the biggest event of the year for us. The _whole family _comes home and celebrates." His eyes darted at Yuki and Kyo. "And the most important part is the juunishi banquet," he told her. "The banquet can only be attended by those possessed by the spirits of the Chinese zodiac. The zodiac members representing the New Year dance and the old year dance together. This year will be Momiji-Kun and the tiger," he said excitedly. "Yuki's dance three years ago was beautiful!"

"Wow! I would love to have seen that!" Tohru said, smiling. Yuki's image of himself in traditional clothing with jewelry and hairpieces came to mind.

"Don't tell her about that!" he shouted. He flung a few pickled radishes at Shigure's face.

"Yes sir…"

"It must be wonderful!" Tohru said happily. She clapped her hands together. "A banquet. Just like in the legend!" she noticed.

"Hmph." Kyo picked up his bowl of rice. "It's got nothing to do with me," he said. "The cat can't go to the banquet," he told her.

"Eh? Why…?"

Shigure put down his rice after taking a small bite. "It was decided long ago that the cat couldn't come," Shigure explained. "I guess _that's_ just like the legend too."

A sad expression came over Tohru's face, almost teary. "But…" she started to say, only to be interrupted by Kyo's angry voice.

"Look," he almost shouted. "It's no big deal so you don't have to go and make that face." Tohru's eyes widened and she dropped the expression. "I'm not saying I won't go home just for some stupid banquet."

Shigure leaned over to Tohru and snickered. "It's because if he went back," he whispered, "_Kagura_ would be so moved she'd kill him."

Of course, Tohru knew he was only kidding, but her smile and chuckles were still nervous ones.

"Shut up!" Kyo banged his fist on the table.

"Never mind that," Yuki rushed the words out. He set his chopsticks on the table. He picked up his cup. "If we go back to the Sohmas," he started slowly, "we'll have to spend the three days of sanga-nichi there, right?" He considered it. "During that time, Honda-San would be left all alone." Tohru gasped almost silently, and looked up.

"Huh? You're not going to your grandpa's house?" Kyo asked.

"Tohru-Kun's grandfather and the rest of them are going to Hawaii," Shigure interjected. "So she asked me to let her stay_ here_ during New Year's." He smiled at Tohru, and she returned it.

Kyo looked at her worriedly. "What? You're going to be alone for New Year's?"

"That's what I just said!" Yuki told him.

"Shut up! This is the first time I heard about it!"

"That's because you don't listen."

Shigure chuckled. "Oh, you two…"

"Thank you for thinking of me," Tohru said. "Somehow, that…fills my heart with joy!" She smiled and laughed. "But I'd feel terrible if you missed out on such a wonderful celebration on my account," she admitted. "And it's been a while since you've seen your parents, right?" Yuki and Kyo's eyes went wide, and they stopped at the title. Parents. "I'm sure they're anxious for you to come home," Tohru added.

She continued to smile, not knowing the effect that just that one word had on the two. "Please, go enjoy the New Year with your family. You can leave the house to me, while you're away! I'll make sure to take good care of—" She gasped. "Oh no, I left the bathwater running!" Tohru sprinted from the room.

"We trust you, Tohru-Kun," Shigure said in between chuckles.

"I think…" Yuki sighed. "I'm going back," he decided.

"We don't really have a choice, do we?" Kyo said. "Not when she puts it like that." _'It's been a while since you've seen your parents, right?' _Kyo sighed. _She knows what it means to lose touch with parents. Because she'll never see her own...ever again, _Kyo and Yuki both realized, sorry for her.

"I'll just have to put up with Akito…" Yuki sighed.

"Kagura's no big deal…" Kyo decided.

_Hmm. This is surely the voice of reason,_ Shigure thought.

_I'm sure she'll be alright. If she insists, then it must be true_, Yuki and Kyo mused. _After all, New Year's is just another holiday._

That night after Tohru's bath, the three of them were ready to get walking. "Please be safe. What out for crowds," Tohru told them.

"It's okay," Shigure told her. "There aren't many people out now."

"And you be careful, too, Honda-San. Make sure to lock up," Yuki reminded.

"I will!" Tohru smiled. "Have a safe trip!" She watched from the doorway as they walked. Tohru just stood there, waving and smiling. Each of them looked back at her a few times. _I'm sure…she'll be fine. She'll be fine. _The three of them walked in silence for a minute or two.

"This one time," Kyo said, "she left her window open."

"Don't tell me you went in?" Yuki replied.

"Like I'd do that!" Kyo yelled. "I saw it from_ outside_. Sheesh!"

"Honda-San_ is_ pretty careless," Yuki agreed. "She fell down the stairs again yesterday. She even walks into walls," he added.

"She could choke on a grain of rice for all we know," Kyo spat.

"That's not funny."

"You guys," Shigure interrupted. "Stop fussing over her like mother hens." He smiled to himself and held back giggles.

They both looked up and at the back of his head, Shigure was leading the way. "Huh?" they asked.

"I know you're worried about Tohru-Kun," Shigure said, "but you decided to come with me so—"

"I-I'm not worried!" Kyo was about to start yelling again.

Yuki sighed, annoyed. "This worrying is stupid. Let's go."

Shigure gasped and stopped walking. "Come to think of it," he started. Yuki and Kyo walked ahead of him some. "There _was_ a report in the morning news about a burglary in our neighborhood," he lied. The boys abruptly stopped walking. Yuki and Kyo hadn't seen the news, and they easily fell for it. "They say the robber is still at large," he added. He sighed.

_Damn! _Kyo mentally kicked himself, clenching his teeth. _She's just naïve enough to invite a burglar inside!_

Yuki was thinking similarly. _She'd probably serve him tea and ask him questions about himself! _If only Tohru knew what they were saying about her…

"Now, now, you two," Shigure said, holding up his hands, as he could sense their panic. "If you keep standing there in a daze—"

"Someone will crash into you," a mysterious voice finished from behind him. He whirled around and screamed. Kyo fell over.

"W—well, if it isn't Saki-Chan!" he said nervously.

_Why can't she appear like a normal person?! _Kyo wondered.

_…What's with the cape? _Yuki watched her pass by Shigure. He stepped apart from him to give her more room to go through. Hanajima was dressed in all black, and her cape flew behind her.

"My, this is a coincidence," Shigure continued, smiling down at her nervously. "We were just on our way to our family's estate."

"Tohru-Kun told me." Hana paused for effect. "Yes. She really is _alone_ this year," she said. "She celebrated New Year's with her mother until now." She wanted to make them feel bad about leaving her. "But this year, she'll be all _alone_." He voice remained completely calm and mysterious.

Yuki and Kyo looked at her. "Arisa and I both offered to spend it with her," Saki continued, "She just smiled and told us to spend it with our families. But…what will become of poor Tohru-Kun?" She turned to face the three of them again. Hana gazed into the distance, not looking at them. "When she sees the lights and the decorations, the going year, the coming year…she can't help but remember seeing them with her mother." She raised her eyebrows only a hair and looked straight at them. "I wonder how she'll feel?"

_Back then…how did she feel? When she watched us leave? _Yuki wondered. He remembered her smiling and waving as they left her to be.

"Was Tohru-Kun…really okay with that?" Saki wondered, seeing the image in Yuki's head with her psychic ability. "Is she…going to be all right?"

_How does she feel…all alone…in that house? _Each and every one of them thought it. Kyo, who was still crouching on the ground from falling over in shock at Hanajima's arrival, tried to stand up. At the same time, Hana started to walk away, and Yuki took a step forward, and Kyo's head crashed into Yuki's jaw. Now they were both leaning forward, Yuki holding the lower half of his face, and Kyo grabbing his head, which was throbbing madly. Shigure, who wasn't paying attention, looked up at them when they groaned. "What are you two doing?"

Hana stood next to Shigure and mumbled to him what happened. Kyo looked up at Yuki and Yuki ran his hand lightly down his jaw. "What's _with_ you?!" Kyo shouted. "I thought you were in a hurry to see your beloved Akito!"

"What about you?!" Yuki shot back. "Wouldn't want to keep your darling Kagura waiting."

"Gimme a break! Why don't I wrap her up and give her to you?!" Kyo suggested.

"And I'll give _you_ Akito."

"I don't want 'em!"

They both started to walk the way they came. "Hey, you two, where are you going?" Shigure asked.

"We're going home!" They both shouted back, looking over their shoulders.

"Saki-Chan," Shigure said. She looked over and up and him blankly. "Did you _plan_ that?"

Hana started to walk away. "I don't care what they do," she said, looking back. "I simply wanted to do something for Tohru-Kun, that is all." Shigure watched her walk. "May you have good waves next year," she said.

Shigure scratched his head. _She's good._

_It's been four months since we've started living together, but there's still something I haven't grasped. _Yuki and Kyo were coming to multiple realizations as they ran. Ran, and ran. To her. _I let it slip by me. I never realized…because she's always smiling so pleasantly. She smiles at even the smallest things. Yes. She's always smiling. And then she tells me…what I most want to hear. Why didn't I realize? _Yuki asked himself. They were almost there, breathing heavily. _How could I miss that? So at peace, all by herself…No one's like that. I want to go home. I want to go home right now. I want to see her._

Kyo pushed open the front door and they both ran in and stopped right at her. She had been sitting at the table, with a picture of her mother. She had tears all over her face. She looked at them, saw them panting, and gasped. "Y—you startled me! What on earth…" she trailed off.

Yuki leaned forward and wiped a gentle finger across her cheek. Tohru immediately brought her sleeve on her hand and violently wiped her face, shouting, "Ah! No! I'm not! That is…what should I say?! It isn't right." She glanced at her mother's picture and looked up at them. Tohru brought her hand down back to her side. "Me getting all emotional on New Year's…um, I was, uh, just listening to an old folk song, and my humble Japanese heart, uh…" She was struggling for words to disguise her tears.

_Thank goodness. _Yuki and Kyo were more relieved than they've ever been. _If we hadn't realized…we would have left her to cry alone. _The fatigue was definitely getting to them now, and they collapsed on the floor.

Tohru started to panic. "A-a-are you okay?!" she asked frantically.

"We're fine," Yuki breathed. "We just wanted to see the first sunrise," he lied. Although that wasn't a bad idea.

"But not before we eat New Year's soba," Kyo added.

Tohru just looked at them for a moment, but then tears unwillingly spilled over her cheeks.

"I'm home!" Shigure walked through the doors of the main house and into the lobby. A teenage guy stood in there also. He had white hair, and four ear piercings. A few passing servants welcomed him. Shigure walked up to the boy.

"Your late," he told Shigure. "You're the last one here."

"Hey, Haa-Kun, thanks for coming to greet me," Shigure replied. "Long time no see."

The other guy looked around Shigure and asked, "Where are Kyo and Yuki?"

Shigure smiled and stood by him. "Umm, how shall I put this? Well, to be blunt—"

"They _ditched_," he guessed, interrupting Shigure. "Oh," he continued, gazing off into the far distance. "I can just imagine Kagura, raging like fire…and Akito, quietly steaming…What are you going to do, Sensei?"

"I'll take care of Akito-San."

They started walking down the hall. "Man…and here I was, planning to challenge him to one last fight for the year. I guess I'll have to take it to him in the New Year."

"Haa-Kun, don't destroy my house," Shigure begged.

"But I do understand why they'd want to skip out," he continued. "Even I have things I can't stand. And sometimes I even want to run away…"

Shigure turned his head and leaned it back. "No, no, this year…I don't think it's because they're trying to run away."

The boy looked over at him questioningly. "What do you mean?"

"Shii-Chan! Haru!" Both of them turned to find Momiji dressed in traditional clothing for his dance this year. Hat, ribbons, bows, the whole deal. "You finally made it! The banquet is starting!" he said excitedly.

Shigure chuckled. "Hey, Momiji!" he greeted, smiling. "I'm looking forward to your dance."

"But before that," Haru, as Momiji called him, said, "—Akito. I wonder how he'll take the news."

Shigure stopped smiling kindly. He walked into Akito's room. "Good evening." Akito looked over his shoulder slowly. _That's right. For now…you're pathetic, Akito. _

Tohru, Yuki, and Kyo were all on the roof. They told her about the incident with Saki. "Eh? Hana-Chan?"

"Yeah, we met her on the way there," Yuki said.

Kyo looked away from them, bored. Tohru smiled to herself. _Hana-Chan, you're the first person I'm going to call this year! _

Hanajima is so close to Tohru that can basically sense Tohru's thoughts from anywhere, so Hana smiled to herself, while walking home, and said, "I'll be waiting."

Tohru looked over to the two. "Um…but is it really okay with the Sohma family? I'm not causing trouble…from being the only happy one, am I?" she asked.

"It's fine," Yuki said. "We'll go wish them Happy New Year during sanga-nichi." He smiled. _Maybe._

"O—okay."

Yuki looked out at the forest. _Right now they're probably in the middle of the banquet. I wondered if Akito's mad. But I feel strangely relieved. I don't feel an ounce of guilt, _Yuki noticed. _This time…I've considered everything. I've thought things over…about how I really feel…_Then him and Kyo thought the same thing. _…and what I really wanted...and I think it just might be…to greet the New Year with her._

Tohru, who had had her back facing him and Kyo, turned around with a big smile plastered to her face. "Look! The sun's coming up!" she said excitedly. They all watched the glowing horizon. "Have you decided what to wish for? I know my wish!" she told them, almost as if she knew what they were thinking.

Kyo jumped to his feet as the sun became easily visible. "This year I'm going to beat that damn rat!" he screamed to the world.

"Yeah, yeah, keep wishing."

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**A/N: Sanga-nichi (New Year's!) in Japan is January 1st-3rd, and matsu no uchi is 1st-7th. The end of the year is usually spent decorating and cleaning and such, and it's traditional on New Year's day to eat traditional Japanese cuisines, write nengajoo (New Year's cards), and pray. New Year's is spent with the family, almost always, and people will return to their hometowns to be with their family during sanga-nichi.**

**As always, I'll ask for reviews...And I will probably just do replies here at the end of chapters. Except for some of the long ones, which are sent to the person in private messaging. **

**_An Antique Heart- Thank you! And I will try my best to describe characters as they are! I think I'm probably going to start thinking about word choice more, too, so... :)_**

**Bai bai for now~**


	12. Chapter Twelve

**A/N: I think that Hatori's story (haha rhyme) is very touching...but so sad...Anyway, this is one of the shorter chapters. The lengths of the chapters can vary more than two thousand words, actually...Wow...**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket, but Natsuki Takaya _does_.  
**

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Hatori threw on his coat and left the office. _'Hatori is like snow.' _Akito had said that. For a long time, if Akito or his father ordered him to do it, he would suppress anyone's memories. Hatori looked down at the sidewalk. He could see Yuki sobbing and begging him not to erase the memories of the only friends he'd had. Even though he knew it would hurt Yuki, he erased his friend's memories. _That's why…when Akito uttered those words…in a way he was telling the truth. _

"Hatori-San!" He looked over his shoulder. Tohru was running up to him. He turned around. "Thank goodness it really _is_ you, Hatori-San! I was wondering what I'd do if you weren't!" Hatori didn't understand. "Happy New Year!" she told him.

Hatori was feeling kind of out of it. What day it was sort of brought him back to reality. "Happy New Year," he said.

"For a second I didn't know who you were," Tohru said. "You grew your hair longer." That was true. The bangs that he had over his left eye and on the far right side of his face, they now reached about the height of the tip of his nose. Hatori slowly looked over to her, still slightly in a daze. "It looks really good. Just like Shigure-San's."

Hatori's mood just shot down. "…What?" No. He could _not _be like Shigure. In _any_ possible way. He started to slowly walk away. "I've just been busy with the New Year. I did think of getting it cut," he decided just then.

Tohru held up a finger, following behind him, and started to say something, but stopped. "Are you alone?" he asked her.

"Yes!" she said. "I was just with my friends on our first temple visit of the New Year." Hatori stopped walking to let her catch up. "Sohma-Kun and Kyo-Kun said they'd go to the main house to wish everyone a Happy New Year!"

Hatori highly doubted that. _They must have been lying. No doubt they're now sitting under a kotatsu eating oranges or something… Never mind Kyo, Yuki's showing a lot of guts. He created quite a stir…_Last night at the main house, everyone was worried about why he didn't come. Akito was furious. That was the first time that the rat's ever skipped out on the banquet. Shigure told him, _'I'm sure he wanted to greet the New Year with Tohru-Kun.' _Hatori and Tohru started walking again. _Who could blame him…for choosing her…over Akito? _

"Hatori-San, are you going shopping?" Tohru asked. Hatori was brought back to the present. She smiled up at him.

"No…I just wanted a little city air," he said.

"You must have been really busy." Then, the air gradually got colder. Snow started to fall, and Tohru held her hands out and stopped walking, as did Hatori. He put his hands in his pockets. "It's snowing! Today's going to be a cold one," she said. "Somehow…it's strange that I'm seeing the first snow with you, Hatori-San." She smiled over at him, and they started to walk again.

Then, and Hatori knew it was coming, Tohru slipped. She gave a small scream, and landed in Hatori's arms. But then…they were surrounded by smoke. She stood up from his pile of clothes quickly, not wanting to crush him. "Ha—tori—sa…" His clothes rustled, and he found his way out from under them. Tohru gasped and stood up to look at him.

He fell over. "Water!" Tohru screeched. Hatori was a very, very, small seahorse. "Sea-water?! Or fresh-water?!" She looked around frantically. "Which is it, Hatori?!"

Hatori didn't do anything. His friends had always laughed at him about it. He remembered a conversation in high school with Shigure and another zodiac member. _'You're the year of the Dragon, so you must be the dragon's bastard offspring!' _Shigure laughed. _'How come Haa-San's the only weird one?' _The other said, _'It couldn't be any funnier than if he turned into a real dragon.'_

Hatori couldn't believe this was happening. _This brings back memories. Tohru Honda's reaction was the same as hers was. Hers, Kana's. _

_It was actually not that long ago. Kana bowed, and her short brown hair swayed. She straightened back up. "Pleased to meet you, I'm Kana Sohma." Hatori was over at his desk, writing something. "I will do my best to assist you!" She smiled. "You know…it's strange. We're part of the same family, yet we haven't spoken before today. Hatori-San, everyone thinks you're so handsome, you're popular even on the "outside"!" _

_Hatori looked up from his notepad. "I know it's sudden but I have a job for you."_

_Kana paid barely any attention to that. She glanced over to the window, and walked over. "Ah! It's snowing! I knew it was going to snow!" Hatori watched her. "May I ask you a question? When the snow melts, what does it become?"_

_Is she making fun of me? Hatori had wondered. "It becomes water, of course." _

"_Wrong!" she sang. "It becomes spring!" Kana looked away from the window and smiled at him again. "Spring is my favorite season!" Hatori just looked at her. _

_They say that…being with another person…can make you feel so much more alive. I realized then what those people meant. To me…she was spring. It was as if while imprisoned inside the dark cage of the inner family…I had completely frozen into snow…and then there she was—fresh, clear spring. It was almost inevitable that…I would fall in love with her. But it was also inevitable…that she would find out._

_Kana looked down at him in disbelief, but then suddenly went into a panic. "Water!" she screamed. "Or is it sea-water?! Which is it?! Which is it, Hatori?!" _

_Eventually he had changed back and explained the whole thing. She dried his hair with a towel. "It's too late now…but if you threw a real seahorse into the bathtub it would die. Probably." The both laughed a bit. _

"_You think so…? Y—Sorry. I panicked. I did the first thing that came to me," Kana said. She looked down and frowned a bit at herself. "It all makes sense now. I was wondering why you'd never hold me," she said sadly. She left the towel on his head and he just let it hang there over his face. "I understand. You must have been scared. You didn't want anyone to know your secret." Hatori said nothing. "Naturally, you would distance yourself from others. Especially if…it was someone you loved."_

_Hatori gazed into the distance, but then into her eyes. "But…there's no need to be scared anymore," she told him. She looked up at him, no longer smiling. "Don't push me away. I'm…happy I met you, Hatori." Kana pulled the towel down off of his head. "I'm happy that…I fell in love with you."_

_The words made her eyes sting with tears, and even Hatori's. "I want to be near you," she told him, her words thick. Hatori started crying. It was the first time in his life that he felt forgiven. Like he was saved. Like the frozen snow that's melted by the breath of spring. His tears wouldn't stop._

_To Hatori, the next two months were like…a dream. 'It's as if a lifetime of happiness has been condensed into two short months!' Kana had said, smiling. Now that smile pierces his heart. The end of the dream…came when to ask Akito for his permission...to marry her._

_Akito shook his head furiously, his short black hair whipping all around his face. He couldn't escape Shigure's grip on his arms. "Akito! Hold on a second! Calm down, stop!" Shigure shouted. "Kana-Chan, hurry! Help Hatori!" _

_Hatori's left eye had been struck by Akito's vase. Akito had thrown it at his face before Shigure could do anything. It was bleeding madly. Hatori had his face in his hands and Kana was kneeling before him. _

_Akito was losing his right mind. "Why would…Why would I give him to you?!" he shouted at Kana. "I don't need you! You can't even break the curse! I don't need you! I don't! I don't!" he screamed. _

"_Akito!" _

"_If Hatori goes blind, it's your fault!" Akito blamed Kana. "It's your fault! It's your fault! It's your fault! IT'S YOUR FAULT!" _

_Kana put her face in her hands, and Hatori's came down from his face, bloody. _

_Kana fell ill. No matter what Hatori said or did, she did nothing but cry. He couldn't even blame Akito. It was the curse. And so, she fell ill. Her heart…fell ill. _

_Akito stood in his kimono with his back against the wall. "Your memory suppression skills would be helpful now, wouldn't they?" Hatori stood, silent, with an eye patch over his injured eye. "Just erase her memories. You had no problem with the others. What's hurting her right now is her memories of you. Her love for you. Isn't it your final duty to free her from that pain?" he asked. Akito snatched his tie and bent down to whisper, "I think she truly wants to be released. She wants…to forget."_

_When Hatori decided he was ready, he talked to Kana. He stood over her in the middle of the field and she kneeled before him, her hand grasping his sleeve, head hanging. "I think…" The words were hard for him to say to her. "I think it would have been better…if we'd never met. I think it would have been better if we'd never met." Is this…retribution? Hatori asked himself. Kana hung her head, sobbing. _

_Even though it hurt people and made them cry…If it was an order, I would peel away people's memories, without remorse. Is this my punishment? He kneeled down and Kana brought up her head slowly. He held her forehead with one hand. I never thought I'd have to erase with my own hands…the memories of the one person most important to me. The memories most important to me. _

_The snow fell around them. "Sorry...I couldn't protect you," she said, tears falling down her cheeks, even though Hatori had covered her eyes. "I'm sorry," she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, Ha…to…ri…" _

_Before he knew it, there was a flash, she fell away from his hand, and it was done. Kana lied there in the snow. No. I'm the one…who should apologize. I'm the one who couldn't protect you. But despite that, you thought only of me 'til the very end. If that is the depth of her love…If that was why she became so sick…then it's no right for her to suffer. Hatori watched her motionless body, still lying there, unconscious. _

"_Thank you…Kana." He stood up. "It's…all right now," he told her. Hatori's tears stained his shirt and continued to fall. "There's…nothing there to hurt anymore." He looked down at her, still. Oh, God, please let her…find someone who can make her happy. I pray. Even if I die surrounded by snow that never melts…I don't care. Please…please…_

"Hatori-San!" a familiar voice said frantically. Hatori's eyes shot open and he was brought back to the present. "Hatori-San!" Tohru said. He looked up, and she was watching him worriedly. He was lying down on a bench with a blanket over him.

"…I'm cold," he said.

Tohru stiffened, kneeling next to the park bench. "Th—that's because…" she said shakily, "under the coat…you're…naked." Before he could say anything she shouted, "Ah, no! I didn't see anything! Do you remember? You met me, and I fell, and you hit your head and transformed!" she filled him in on the events.

Hatori rubbed the back of his head, thinking, _Oh…that's right…_

"I didn't know what to do," Tohru continued frantically, "so I moved you somewhere where no one could see. And then you changed back, but I didn't—…!" He stood up and started putting his clothes back on, while she was looking elsewhere.

"Did you see?" he asked nervously.

Tohru threw her hands up. "No! I didn't!"

"My…zodiac…"

"Ah…yes."

Hatori turned away and smacked his forehead. He was self-conscious. Tohru gasped and said, "Bu—But I don't think it's funny or anything! I was surprised, but you were so cute, and I never expected…"

"I'm going to get dressed now," he said.

"Oh! I'll go get you something warm to drink!" Tohru shouted, already walking away.

Minutes later, Hatori sat back down on the bench. _It's been a while since I've dreamt of Kana. So…why now? _he wondered. _I wonder if it's the snow. _

A small group of ladies started to walk by. "Really? Finally! Congratulations, Kana!" Hatori slowly turned his head, eyes wide. "We were wondering why you suddenly came back to Tokyo."

"Next, you'll be talking to your parents about the ceremony, right? Why didn't you bring your fiancé? I wanted to meet him!"

"Well, he's busy with work," Kana told them. Hatori noticed how her hair came over her shoulders now, beautifully. "And we're having the ceremony in his town."

"Hey, what kind of guy is he?"

"The kind who can't lie. And I feel so calm when I'm with him. Even if…he's not as good looking as Hatori-San," Kana giggled. She still had no idea that he was right there.

"Ooh! Look what you're saying!"

"Well, I was always in love with him. But it was just one-sided," Kana said, smiling. "This is the first time I've been back to the Sohma house in a long time…I wonder if I'll get to see Hatori-San?"

"Just don't have an affair!" Her friend said, draping her arm around Kana's shoulders. They walked away, as Hatori just…watched them leave.

Hatori hadn't seen her in two years. She was still smiling the same way that she did back then. He'd noticed that. _I see. So she's…happy now. I'm glad. _"Congratulations…" Hatori muttered. He smiled and watched them turn around the corner.

"Congratulations on what?" Tohru had just appeared on the other side of him with a warm drink for him, as she'd promised.

"No…it's nothing," Hatori said, looking away from the street corner. Time passes slowly…but steadily. Tohru looked at him questioningly.

_I would be lying, _Hatori thought to himself, _if I said that I wasn't shocked. But I'm happy…to know that it was a good thing…to let her go. I'm glad. Please, let her be happy. Even if I die surrounded by snow that never melts. 'Hatori-San?' _Kana had asked on her first day. _'When the snow melts, what does it become?' _

Hatori stood up and looked down, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "When…snow melts, what do you think it becomes?" he asked Tohru, who was still holding his drink.

"Huh? Ah…um, well…hmm." Tohru thought about the question front, back, left, right, upside down, right side up, backwards, and frontwards and came up with her truthful answer. "It becomes _spring_!" she said, smiling. "No matter how cold it is now, spring will come again! Without fail. It's strange…isn't it? But it's true."

Hatori looked at her, the same way he'd looked at Kana when she'd first said it. _Incredible._ _Someday, the snow will melt. Without fail._

Tohru handed him his drink. "Is coffee okay?"

He nodded and held out the bag that he'd absently been holding. "Here's your bag." They traded items.

_Without fail, _he thought again.

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**A/N: I ask people the question all the time. "When snow melts, what does it become?" Almost every person says water. ): **

**R+R, bis bald. (I've come to like that saying c:)  
**


	13. Chapter Thirteen

**A/N: You know the three symbols I put when I switch locations in the story or tons of time passes? I just realized that it's not a diamond (what it is on MicrosoftWord) and it changes from the letter 's' to the weird symbol it is in this chapter to boxes. Weird, huh? Diamonds are too complicated, well _sorry_! :/**

**Disclaimer: I own nothing...sadly...  
**

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He walked up to the city's directory. To other's he seemed to be lost. He was. His hair was white with black roots, and he wore a long, white coat with fur at the collar. The city bustled around him.

A pair of girls standing near him started whispering. "Ooh!"

"Wow! Look at him!"

"He's hot!"

"You're right! I wonder…is he lost?"

"It's like he's dressed for clubbing."

He turned his head slightly, listening. "Let's talk to him. Maybe he'll go out with us!"

Then, he strapped on his biker goggles, his gloves, and his boots hit the ground, steadying himself on the bike. He rode away on the…bicycle. He even rang the bell, twice. The two girls just stared as he rode away.

So…winter break is over and the third term has started. Tohru is still living happily with the Sohmas.

"You think you can always keep that smug look?!" Kyo shouted. "One of these days I'll wipe that smirk right off! One day, I'll make you say you're sorry!"

"I'm sorry." Yuki stared him down from a few feet away. They were standing in front of the supermarket.

"That's not what I meant! Dammit! Don't you have any shame?!" Kyo pointed at him accusingly, and people around them started to look over and mutter amongst themselves.

"Yes," Yuki answered surely, "I'm ashamed to be seen with you, shouting in public."

"Fine! Let's take it outside!"

"We _are_ outside, stupid cat."

Tohru came out of the store with two bags. "Thank you for waiting! Uh, um." She'd come out smiling, but it dropped when she saw angry Kyo and annoyed Yuki.

Yuki's mood instantly changed when she came out, but Kyo was still mad. "No, Honda-San. Thank _you _for doing the shopping." He smiled at her.

Tohru held up a bag, and her hand was shaking from the weight. "I-I'm sorry, I bought a little too much…It might be heavy."

Yuki took the bag from her hand easily. "I don't mind. That's why we came along," he said, smiling, still. Kyo turned away from them. "Make yourself useful, stupid cat."

He turned and shouted, "Stop calling me stupid!" Tohru noticed that the two of them aren't getting along, as usual. "And why should I have to help you with anything anyway?!" Kyo asked furiously.

"Fine. Don't come next time."

Tohru looked down. Her dearest wish this year was actually for them to learn to get along. She'd even prayed for it at her first temple visit this year. _But the Gods don't seem to be having much of an effect,_ she noticed.

As Kyo continued shouting, Yuki got upset again. It started drawing attention. Yuki looked over at him angrily. "Would you please…stop making so much noise?" He tried not to shout.

"Why don't you try and make me, prissy boy?!" Kyo shot back. He held up his fists and laughed.

Tohru squeaked. "St-stop it, you two!"

Yuki was fed up with this. He reached into the bag and pulled out a handful of leeks. Kyo hated those. He shoved them into his mouth, and Kyo froze. "That ought to make him behave for a while." Yuki covered his mouth and coughed.

"Ky—Kyo-Kun!" Kyo turned away from Yuki, and Tohru took him to the grass. "Kyo-Kun! Spit them out over here!" The leeks fell out of his mouth.

"Eww…" he choked out.

Shigure stepped out of the bathroom with a towel draped over his head. He looked over to Yuki and Tohru sitting at the table. "Oooooi. Yuki-Kun, why don't you go next? The bathroom's free."

"Mm. Not today," Yuki said, resting his chin in the palm of his hand. Tohru looked over to him.

Shigure gasped and put his hand to the side of his face. "You're not taking a bath? How terribly gross!" he said dramatically.

_One day I'd like to hang him from the roof, _Yuki decided. "It's not like that," he told him. "I think I'm getting a cold.

Tohru almost spilled her drink. She gasped and stood up. "Th—that's terrible! Do you have a fever?!" She ran over to him with her hand held out to feel his forehead. At first Yuki pulled away, startled, but then stayed put so she could check. "Let's see…You do feel a little warm." She took her hand down.

Shigure walked over to the cabinet where they kept the medicines. He kneeled down to look for cold medicine. "It's important to nip a cold in the bud early on," he said. "Take some medicine and go to bed early." He squinted, reading all the titles. "Now where did I put that cold medicine…?"

"Should he stay home from school tomorrow?" Tohru suggested worriedly.

"No, I'll be fine," Yuki told her, rubbing his forehead. "It's not that far to walk."

Tohru suddenly remembered. "B—but tomorrow is the endurance run!"

"In this weather?" Shigure said, impressed. He finally found the box of cold medicine and took it out of the cabinet. "The things they do to kids these days…"

Kyo came through the door, eyes wide. "Did you say…endurance run?" He looked surprised, but kind of evil.

Shigure looked over. "Oh, Kyo-Kun, how can you go sleeveless in this weather?!"

"We're having an endurance run tomorrow?!" Kyo asked again.

"Eh…Y-yes! Didn't you know, Kyo-Kun? Why did you think we were running so much in P.E.?" Tohru asked.

Kyo clenched his teeth. "Endurance run…Marathon…Running in a group…" Yuki was getting a bad feeling. "In other words…" Kyo grinned and shouted, "…A battle!" He clenched his fists. "Right on!" He looked at Yuki. "Tomorrow we'll see who's fastest!"

"Uh—" Tohru tried to say. Yuki saw that one coming. "Um—but—Sohma-Kun is getting a cold!" she informed.

"A _cold_?!" Kyo yelled. "It's his own damn fault for being too weak to fight it off! That's what he gets for not keeping up with his training!" Kyo had just finished up his daily training.

Kyo stared down at both of them. "If he takes a bath and goes to bed early, it'll be gone in the morning," he said, shaky, trying to keep composure. "Don't try to weasel out of this, rat!"

"Kyo-Kun…your eyes…they changed color…?" Tohru asked, not sure.

He ignored it. Shigure, who had been standing by them, chuckling nervously, leaned down to Yuki. Kyo walked away, laughing. "But, seriously…" Shigure said to Yuki, tapping the medicine box on his cheek. "Remember who you are. We transform when our bodies get weak, so I forbid you to push yourself too hard, okay?"

"Yeah," was all Yuki responded.

Tohru frowned and looked at them. She was still worried. Tohru really would feel better about this if Yuki stayed home to rest, but then Kyo would be mad. _Oh…please let tomorrow pass without incident…_

The next morning, everyone was around in their own little groups preparing for the run, and the teacher shouted over their chatter. "Is everyone ready? Make sure to follow the correct course. If you need a reminder, the courses are here on the board." There was a small chalkboard that showed girls running one way, and boys the other. Both eventually met up in the same spot.

A group of girls, as well as two guys, were staring at Yuki, who was tying his shoes. "They really are lovely," one girl said, zipping up her jacket.

"Yeah…So long and slender…" Their eyes were glued. "…Yuki-Kun's legs…"

Yuki was still trying to tie his shoes. "Sohma-Kun?" Tohru walked over. She had her hair in pigtails today. The group of girls glared at her, as well as…the two guys. "You didn't eat much breakfast. Are you feeling okay?" she asked him.

"I'm fine," Yuki assured her for the fortieth time as he stood up. "Don't worry. Anyway, if I tried to stay home, he'd throw a fit." They both looked over to Kyo. He was sitting down glaring over at them, hissing.

"Come to think of it," Tohru said, "I haven't seen Uotani-San around." She held up a finger and smiled. "She's playing hooky! Hana-Chan is here, though."

Yuki was barely listening, because he saw what was coming. "Oh no you don't!" Minami, who loved to tease Tohru so much, knocked Tohru right down. Yuki stared at her in shock. "Honda-San, what are you doing talking to Yuki-Kun like you're fast friends?! It's time for the girls to start running! Now, let's go! Get a move on!"

Tohru quickly stood up, but Minami dragged her to the starting line."Honda-San…" Yuki mumbled, worried. Kyo looked at Minami like she was a psycho. Oh, she was. Tohru stumbled over to Hanajima.

"Tohru-Kun…? What happened to your head?" Hana asked worriedly. She had her hands held together in front of her.

"Heeiiih…It's nothing," she told her.

"Really? In that case…" Hana looked at Minami in her peripheral vision. She used her strange powers on her. She placed multiple haunting voices in her head.

Minami screamed. "Something's here! It's THEM, they're here!" she screeched.

"What's wrong? Hang in there!" one of her friends told her. "What do you mean by them?!" she asked more urgently.

Tohru was still swaying and stumbling. "Today we have to run for Uo-Chan, too…" she said slowly.

"Yes, I know. I'm not much of a runner, but I'll do my best," Hana promised, smiling.

"O…kay…"

Minami, who Hanajima completely wacked up, and her friend were over by the sidewalk now. "Are you okay?"

"As the master wishes…" the Minami muttered, still _very _confused, and hearing…_them_.

"Everyone!" the teacher shouted. "On your marks!" Everyone became silent and lined up for the run. "Get set!" He held up a handgun, and then shot it.

Everyone started to run slowly, pacing themselves. After about ten seconds, Hanajima collapsed. "Wait!" she shouted to Tohru. Her hands with black nails, as always, held her up from the ground.

Tohru stopped running and bent down to her. "Hana-Chan?! What's wrong?!"

"I'm sorry, Tohru-Kun…I can't run any further…." Hana was on her knees, and Tohru took her hands. "I have no choice but to walk the rest of the way. Please…don't worry about me…I'll be right behind you…walking."

"Hana-Chan!"

The teacher walked up to them. "Yeah, yeah. You can walk or crawl for all I care—just get started, Hanajima!"

Tohru had been jogging the course for about ten minutes now. _This is a long course, _she thought. _…and I'm falling further and further behind! Must—keep—going! _she pushed herself. _It's about time for the boys to start. I hope Sohma-Kun's okay…and Hana-Chan, too! _

Tohru saw a small patch of white over in the grass from the corner of her eye. She looked over. _Over there…white hair…An old man?! _Tohru gasped and her eyes grew wide. "I hope he's all right!" she yelled, instantly regretting it. She started to go over towards him, anyway.

He looked over, and it appeared that he was young, her age, about, and his hair was white with black roots. He looked like a laid back person, and he had a long white coat with fur at the collar. He had many ear piercings.

Tohru felt stupid, _Oh, young! _She was still making her way over, but her feet wouldn't slow down, because she'd been going for so long. "I—I'm sorry! Y-your hair is so white…I thought you were an old man…and maybe you were in trouble…It was my mistake! I'm sorry!" she apologized again.

He just stared at her, and asked, "Hey…do you know where the Sohma family lives?"

Tohru instantly stopped running, and smiled weirdly. "…Huh?"

Yuki and Kyo were running, running, running, halfway to where Tohru was at. "I'm gonna win!! You're going down, Yuki!!"

"Shut up."

Kyo looked over, angry and tired. "Don't hold back!! I'll kill you if you're letting me win!!"

"I thought I told you to shut up." Yuki coughed a few times, but kept pace, slightly ahead.

Three guys were trying to keep up with them, but were panting and slowing down more by the second. "Those guys are really fast…"

"I can't even see them anymore…I can't keep up…" said one who was falling behind the other two.

"This isn't a sprint. Are they nuts…?"

Tohru sat down by the boy, over on the other side of the course. "S—Sohma? Um…does that mean you're a member of the Sohma family…?"

"That's right," he said. "You know them?"

"Y-Yes! Pleased to meet you, I'm Tohru—"

"Oh," he interrupted. He already knew exactly who she was. He stood up. "I hear voices." Yuki and Kyo were coming, still shouting at each other. "They're running this way…" He crossed to the other side of the path.

Tohru stood up as well. _You know…It's amazing how I keep running into members of the Sohma family…_she thought to herself. _I wonder…I wonder if this person is also—_She watched him tie a string around a pole and come to the other side where she still was.

Yuki and Kyo were almost to where they were, only seconds away. "Um…what are you—" Just as Kyo sprinted ahead of Yuki and reached them, the boy tugged the string and Kyo crashed to the ground. "Got him."

"EEP!" Tohru ran over to Kyo. "A—A—Are you okay, Kyo-Kun?!" Yuki walked up behind her.

"Eh…? Honda-San?"

Kyo brought his head up, and his forehead was bleeding. "What the hell did you do that for?!" Tohru gasped quietly and took a step back. "Right when I finally passed Yuki—!"

"I had no choice," the guy said. He let go of the string and stayed in the same spot across the walkway. "You wouldn't have stopped any other way."

"Haru…?" Kyo asked confusedly.

Haru looked at them. "Doing this is very dangerous. Anyone other than Kyo would not get away with just a scrape—So please, don't try that at home."

Kyo jumped to his feet. "You shouldn't have tried it either! And stop _talking _like that!" he yelled. "You could have killed me! Look at the blood!" He pointed at his face, and the blood dripped to his chin.

"So this time it's Haru…?" Yuki asked. "They just keep coming…" Yuki was talking to himself. He glared at him. "Shouldn't you be in school? You have entrance exams this year."

The guy looked over at Yuki and said his name slowly.

"Wait a damn minute!!" Kyo shouted. "Show a little concern! I'm _bleeding _here!" Tohru ran over.

The guy looked off into the distance. "Ah...I set out on Sunday…And found myself in an unfamiliar town. Next thing I knew…three days had passed…"

"Just say it. You got lost." Yuki rephrased. Tohru was over by Kyo, cleaning up the blood.

"So you still have no sense of direction," Kyo said, rubbing his forehead. "That means you haven't had a bath in three days." He looked at him disgustedly.

"What a wonderful way of getting lost!" Tohru said, ignoring Kyo's comment. She saw past him and Yuki. A townsperson was walking nearby, and she gasped quietly. "Um…we should get off the course. What if Sensei or someone were to find us?"

"You're right," Yuki agreed. They all walked over into the grass, pretty far from the course. The stood near the side of a building. Once they were over there, Yuki motioned from Tohru to the Sohma. "This is Hatsuharu Sohma. He's a year younger than we are. He's a third year in middle school," he told Tohru. "Haru. This is Tohru Honda-San," he smiled at Tohru.

"Oh. I see," Hatsuharu said. He bowed before Tohru. "Very pleased to meet you," he said politely.

"Ah! No! The pleasure is mine!" Tohru said, bowing. They both straightened. _Hatsuharu-San…_Tohru repeated in her mind. _He's very well-mannered. He doesn't seem like a ninth grader…_she noticed.

Kyo walked over away from her and Yuki. Hatsuharu followed. "Well? What do you want?" Kyo asked him.

"A fight," Haru replied simply.

Kyo just looked at him for a moment. "Huh?"

"I wanted to challenge you at New Year's, but you skipped out. So I came to find you." Haru snatched Kyo's shirt. "Let's do it."

"W-Wait a minute!" Kyo shouted. "I'm in the middle of an important race!"

"But it took me three days to get here!" Haru shouted back.

"That's because you got lost!!"Tohru didn't like where this was going. Her and Yuki stood by the wall, away from them. "I'll fight you when we get home! But not now!"

"No." Haru shouted.

"This…could be bad," Tohru muttered.

"Hey, Kyo? I think you should just do what Haru wants…" Yuki managed to say in between coughs.

"Look!" Kyo yelled. "I said I won't—And I won't! Just go home—"

Haru knocked him down by slamming his head into Kyo's. Kyo stood right back up.

"Too late," Yuki said. He starting coughing again and Tohru just didn't do anything. She didn't understand.

"Blahdy, blah, blah! Enough with your damn yapping!" Haru yelled, cracking his fingers. "A _real _man answers any challenge. But then, you're just kitten!" Haru looked at him angrily. "Time to die!" Haru yelled. Kyo stood in front of him, facing the other way, holding the back of his head.

"No! Don't die!" Tohru screamed, panicking.

"You damn BRAT!" Kyo kicked Hatsuharu in the face, causing him to fall backwards. Haru took it, and stood back up.

"Dammit!" Haru yelled. "What'd I ever do to you that you have to get in the way of my victory?!"

Yuki sighed and watched them. "Great, he's awakened "black Haru"."

Tohru watched, horrified. "Buh—buh—buh—"

"Normally Haru's a bit of a pushover," Yuki continued, "but once he's snapped, he becomes an unstoppable juggernaut. His relatives call his dark side "black Haru"."

Tohru smiled nervously, still watching Kyo and Haru beat each other half to death. "H—ha…Um," she stuttered uncomfortably, "d-does that mean he's th-the same type as Kagura-San…?"

"No…" He trailed off, watching Haru come over to him and Tohru. He held Yuki's chin.

"Don't just stand there watching, Yuki. Today you will be _mine_," Haru said, his glaring eyes gleaming.

"He's much _worse_ than Kagura," Yuki told Tohru, glaring back at Haru.

Haru released him and whipped around. "Get up, Kyo!"

"I am up!" Kyo was standing just where he had fallen. "What do you think you're doing?!"

"I'm fighting. Let's fight." Haru struggled to keep composure.

"I said my race with Yuki comes first!" Kyo's voice got louder with each word he spoke.

Yuki stood with his arms crossed against the wall. He glared at their pointless fight. "Honda-San, this looks like it's going to take a while. Why don't you go on ahead?" he suggested.

Tohru was gasping for frightened breaths, shaking. "B—But—"

"Quit screwing around!" Haru was in Kyo's face now.

"You quit screwing around!"

Haru and Kyo put the tops of their heads together and brought their hands up against each other and tried to make the other fall over. "When did you become such a pansy, Kyo?!"

"Your black side really sucks, you know that?!"

"Oh yeah?!" Haru shouted back. "If you keep putting me off, I'll take out my frustrations on your little girlfriend over there…"

Haru looked up, lip bleeding, and Kyo's head came up too, angry. "Huh?! You'll what?!" Kyo demanded.

An evil grin flashed across Haru's beaten face. "Some of _this_… and some of _that_…And then something else, too!" he shouted the last few words.

Kyo stood up and glared down at him. _What the hell is he talking about?! The bastard! He's forgetting that he owes me for helping him find the bathroom when we were little, _Kyo remembered. He clenched his fists. _When he goes black, he loses every ounce of his charm! Who got him so stirred up?! Oh yeah…it was me. But what does he mean, this and that…? She's got nothing to do with this! _

_Nothing! _he mentally repeated. _Nothing at all! Women have nothing to do with disputes between men! Nothing, but… _He looked over to Tohru, who was watching him and Haru worriedly. _…for some reason…it really pisses me off! _He turned his head forward and glared at Haru, thinking of what he said.

"Bring it on, you damn kid!" Kyo shouted. "I'm gonna kill you!" Haru clenched his fists and held them up, ready to pound him into the ground. Kyo did the same.

Yuki and Tohru didn't hear Hatsuharu's threat, though. "Kyo-Kun?!" Tohru choked.

"That's more like it, you coward!" Haru yelled.

"Keep talking, punk, I'll hit you so hard, your teeth will rattle!"

Yuki was coughing again, and held his hand to his mouth. He stopped and didn't take his eyes off the fight. "Honda-San…really, this will take a while. You can go ahead."

"B-B-B-But…Shouldn't we stop them…?" She took a small step back.

Here…the going of a battle between two men, full of passion, started to sound…and the endurance race was all but forgotten.

"Hey, Hanajima-San," runners called. "You could at least run a little!" they struggled to suggest. Saki just sat there, though, ignoring the talking, ignoring the race, ignoring the calls of her name, reading a nice book.

* * *

**A/N: I wonder what Hana was reading...Probably Summer-Colored Sigh volume 2! Haha. :P (reference to the time she saw Shigure's books and asked when volume two would come out) Rrreeevvviiieeewww!! **

**Bis bald!!!  
**


	14. Chapter Fourteen

**A/N: Basically a continuation of chapter thirteen. Finished chapter twenty-four recently! You'll get to see it in...hm...ten more chapters. :D**

**Disclaimer: I'm not worthy of owning Fruits Basket. ):  
**

* * *

_We're in the third term of school. Spring is still far away. And today is the big endurance run. Well…at least it was supposed to be. For some reason…it turned out to be a martial arts battle._

"Bring it on blockhead!"

"Shut up, you!" Kyo raised his fists as did Hatsuharu. "I've seen through your every move!"

Tohru shook, Yuki coughed, Haru kicked, and Kyo blocked. Over and over, still.

"Uh…uh…um…" Tohru watched them with wide eyes.

Yuki covered his mouth again because of his coughing fit. He stopped himself. "Leave them alone, Honda-San. Just let them fight it out." He cleared his throat. "Besides, there's no way I'm getting in the middle of that." He smiled jokingly. "I'd rather die."

Tohru at him, expression no different. "O—oh."

Tohru watched Haru and Kyo smash each other into the dirt. _But still…that Hatsuharu-San that I met earlier seemed like such a sweet person. But once he snapped…he became a completely different person. The Sohma family is…so full of difficult people._

Haru threw his jacket off. Apparently, he liked leather and necklaces. "Was that supposed to be a punch?! Because I barely felt it!!" His glaring eyes gleamed aggressively. Kyo was knocked to the ground. Falling on his back, hard, the breath was knocked out of him. "Moron!" Haru taunted. "Sissy! Hit me some more, you dumb cat!"

Kyo gasped for breath, but then clenched his teeth and shot up. "I'll kill you!" He threw two punches that Haru dodged, but then, Kyo successfully and forcefully connected his fist with Haru's stomach. Haru fell to the ground, but stopped himself, using his arms, from falling down completely.  
"Stop flattering yourself! You're a snapping turtle compared to Yuki!"

Kyo watched him intently as he came to his feet, slowly. "Hmph! What does that say about you? You couldn't beat Yuki—and you've been studying martial arts much longer than he has!" Haru pointed out. "You trained for months to take him on! What a loser! You're less than a snapping turtle! You're a widdle baby turtle!" Kyo clenched his teeth and narrowed his eyes. "A water skeeter!"

"Now I'm really gonna kill you!" Haru, who had just stood up, was knocked down again by a blow in the side of the head. "I'll kill you_! I will kill you!!_"

Tohru gasped and shrank back to the wall. Yuki sighed and looked elsewhere. _This is so stupid,_ he became irritated. Kyo and Haru continued to try and pummel each other.

"Ah…Somehow it seems…" Tohru watched in amazement. "…Kyo-Kun is so much stronger."

Yuki considered it. "Well…yes. Kyo probably is stronger against Haru. But that doesn't change the fact that he's a fight-obsessed moron." He coughed a few more times. "They're both like that, devoting so much of their lives to studying martial arts."

Tohru smiled and laughed, asking, "Didn't you like studying martial arts, Sohma-Kun?"

Yuki hesitated and thought about it. He looked down and his eyes grew wide. "…Did I?"

Suddenly, Yuki's head jerked back up and he gasped, jaggedly, sharply. "Sohma-ku—?" Tohru looked over. His hand shot to his neck, and he looked down and coughed twice, but weakly. He fell into a kneel, then onto the cold grass, gasping. "Sohma-Kun? Sohma-Kun?!" Each time she said his name her voice got louder. "Sohma-Kun!!"

Haru and Kyo heard her screaming, and they both stopped. Haru's hands were still in fists, and Kyo was still holding Haru by his shirt. They looked over to them and rushed over. Tohru kneeled down to Yuki. "What's wr—"

"Yuki?" Haru crouched down to him, right beside Tohru. Tohru stood up and stepped back, watching concernedly. "Is it an attack?" Haru asked calmly. He no longer seemed black. Tohru covered her mouth with her hand and silently gasped, remembering his medical condition. The disease he had. Kyo stood away, doing nothing, but watching. Haru felt Yuki's forehead. "He's got a fever. You have to be more careful when you've got a cold. Here lie down." Haru helped Yuki, who was still struggling to breathe, lay on his back instead of his side. "I'll call the main house."

Just as Haru stood up, Yuki grabbed his ankle. His tortured expression became worse, telling Haru that he shouldn't. He shook lightly and started to cough again.

Tohru went down to his side. "Sohma-Kun!" Tohru's eyes stung and she regretted not trying harder to make him stay at home that morning. Tohru ran and retrieved Hatsuharu's coat, and put it over Yuki.

"You don't want me to call the main house…do you?" Haru guessed. "Is it okay, if we postpone our fight, Kyo?"

Kyo flinched, and came out of his daze. "Huh? Oh." His eyebrows pulled together and he frowned angrily. "Sheesh. So I guess we have to postpone the race, too? What an idiot, getting done in by a cold!"

Haru ignored his last comment and went down next to Tohru. "Should we go to Sensei's house?" he suggested, meaning Shigure. He preferred to call him Sensei. "We could call a taxi, but…that would cause trouble if Yuki transformed. I've heard that the attacks get worse when he's in rat form."

Tohru was in such a panic she was about to cry. "I'll help! I'll do anything!"

Haru watched her and considered it, while Tohru stared at him with pleading eyes. "You're pretty cute. I think I _will _use your help."

"Eh?" Tohru had no idea what he meant. But that was only because she was…a little slow.

"As long as I have to _hug _someone, she might as well be _cute._" Haru smirked, and Tohru tensed. He stepped towards her and embraced her tightly, hoping it would have an effect on how long he stayed in his form. All four of them were surrounded by smoke, and that probably didn't help Yuki. Kyo looked away muttering something unintelligible about Hatsuharu having no shame.

Tohru stood there, gasping, shaking, panicking, and wondering. _First Momiji now this! _

"Now we can carry Yuki like this." Tohru stopped and slowly looked down at him. "Hold my neck so I don't change back," Haru said. His zodiac was an ox, twice her size, black and white spotted just like a cow. Tohru fell backwards.

Saki Hanajima looked carefully, at her choices, poker faced. "It's here," she announced. "It's finally here. At long last…I can truthfully say…" Her hand held up an ace of diamonds. "…Royal straight flush."

"Gah! You're kidding!" The other player grabbed the sides of his head, frustrated.

"How come you always get the good cards?" another mumbled.

The three sat there, in the middle of the sidewalk. The teacher walked up to them. "If you're not going to run, then go home!!" he growled through his teeth. Other students were also giving him a hard time.

Hana and the others continued their game.

Shigure snickered, watching Yuki, Kyo, Haru, and Tohru walk into the living room. "That explains it. Tohru and Kyo walked beside a cow, which happened to be Haru, carrying Yuki on his back. "What a noble steed—I mean steer!" Shigure burst out laughing. "He's a cow. A _cow_! That's funny!"

Kyo glared at him. "It's not funny."

"Haa-Kun, it's January," Shigure reminded him, as he recovered from his laughing fest. "You must have attracted a lot of attention."

"It's not funny!" Kyo shrieked. "It was really hard keeping people away!" They passed through a park on the way and all of the adults froze in their tracks confusedly. The children came up and started petting Haru and they laughed, _'A cow! Wow! Cool!'_ Haru faked a _moo_ here and there.

Everyone just stopped talking about it and went to Yuki's bedroom to lie him down in his bed. At least he was already passed out.

Once Yuki was in the bed, Shigure sat down at his feet. "He's sleeping soundly," Shigure said quietly, but not a whisper. Haru walked over to Yuki, and, being a cow, currently, he was at the same level, head-wise. "It was just a light attack. But it's been a while since he's even had one. He has a fever," Shigure said, "but he'll be fine."

Kyo looked completely ready to leave the room, but Tohru didn't look like _she _would ever. The situation worried her more than most, due to her father's way of death. It hurt her to see people sick like that, and not do a whole lot to help it. Tears came to her eyes, just thinking about the comparison. But Shigure's words lowered her worry. _Thank goodness. _

"I'm sorry, Tohru-Kun. You can go back to school now," Shigure offered, smiling to lighten the mood.

"No, I'll…I'll stay here with him!" A pained look came across Tohru's face. "School is important, but…I don't want to go if it means abandoning a person in need. I'm sure mom would have said the same thing. A—and colds are dangerous," she stammered. She remembered her father again. Shigure didn't know about that, but his smile dropped. "We shouldn't underestimate them."

Shigure gave her a kind smile. "Well then…should I go to the school and get your stuff?" he suggested, looking down to her.

"N—no!" she stammered. "Please, don't go to any trouble!"

"Oh, it's fine. Don't worry about it," he told her. "Kyo-Kun," Shigure said, turning his attention to the door, where he knew he'd find Kyo halfway through. "Call Haa-San."

Kyo looked back, irritated. "What?! Why should I…?"

"Haa-San is really stressed out, so be careful. It seems there's an epidemic of influenza in the family." Hatori, being the family doctor, had to take care of everyone, which was a whole lot of people.

"So what—?"

Kyo was cut off by a boom. "I'll call," Hatsuharu offered, now having hands to hold the phone with. Tohru squealed and turned around. Haru, being a very, very laid back person, started to walk to the door without care of his inappropriateness. "Where's the phone?"

"Don't walk around naked! It's indecent!" Kyo spat. He ran off to get him some of his clothes to borrow. Tohru went over to Shigure.

"I'm off. Take care of Yuki-Kun, all right?" Shigure said.

"Y—yes. Thank you." Tohru watched Shigure turn for the door and walk out. Shigure couldn't wait.

His perverted mind got him out of the door in no time. _High school girls. Young, nubile, high school girls—live and in person!_

Kyo came back a minute later and threw some clothes at Haru. Haru dressed, leaving the collar unbuttoned as Kyo does, and Kyo and he went to the phone, which was in the hallway outside the kitchen. "Yeah…okay, thanks," Haru sighed after talking on the phone for a minute or two. Kyo sat against the wall the whole time.

"What did Hatori say?"

Haru looked over to him, expressionless. "He's mad at me for some reason…"

"Well, you did disappear for three days." Kyo looked down. "Well, now what? It looks like that damn Yuki's gonna pull through. Should we go on with our fight?"

Hatsuharu looked elsewhere from Kyo. "Ah…" he barely considered. "Nah, that was enough. You're a tough opponent, Kyo. I'll have to train harder." He turned away to go back to Yuki's room, but Kyo shot up.

"Hold it, kid!" Haru stopped. "You can't lead people on like that and walk away!" He took him in a head lock and rubbed his head with his other elbow. "You changed back to white Haru when no one was looking!"

Haru struggled to get out of the head lock. "Ow, ow, ow!" Tohru walked up to them. She'd been wondering what was taking so long.

"Huh? You're not black-San anymore?" she asked.

Kyo and Haru stopped almost instantly. They kind of stared at her…for…a while… Haru was basically hanging from Kyo's shoulder, and said, "Yeah…That's right."

"Somehow, you're a completely different person," Tohru smiled her signature goofy smile.

Kyo let go of Haru and he stood up. "How's Yuki?" Haru asked her.

"He's sleeping."

Haru looked over at Kyo, glared almost. "Better not attack him while he's sleeping, Kyo."

"Of course I won't, idiot!" Kyo yelled. "Why would I try and pull a cheap trick like that? I beat him fair and square!" Tohru took a step and tried to interrupt him. "This sucks! I'm going back to school!" Kyo stomped out and slammed the door behind him.

It took a while until Haru decided to speak. Tohru walked over to the sink. "Do Yuki and Kyo fight every day?"

"No..." Tohru responded, "but they do argue every day."

Haru glanced at her, who was starting to run water, patiently waiting for it to become cold. "Really?" He leaned against the counter next to her and sighed, eyes shut. "I guess they're starting to get along."

The pack slipped from Tohru's fingers, making a loud crash on the dishes. "What?!"

"The relationship was so thunderous before," Haru continued.

"Th—thunderous?"

"That's right…They've changed," Haru said. "Before they gave a more intense…" He thought for a moment. "'Stay away from me' vibe. But now it feels like that's softened."

She started to fill the ice pack for Yuki, along with some of that cold water. He absently picked up his chain's pendant and stared at it. It was a cross. "I thought for sure they'd still beat each other bloody every day. I see," he said. "How unexpected. I wonder if it's your doing…." Tohru looked up at him, mouth slightly ajar. "…because you're here with them."

Tohru held the ice pack tight, which now had a towel wrapped around it, and flailed with one arm. "Oh! Oh, no! I'm not that significant am I?!" She was going into her usual touchy to panic mood.

"I haven't been watching the whole time so I can't be sure," he said. Tohru stopped and they started to walk towards Yuki's room with the ice. "But for now," Haru went on, "they seem to be changing in the right direction, and that's a good thing. Especially for Yuki. He was my first love, you know…Yuki," Haru sighed.

Tohru's hands lost function and she dropped the icepack. This…she did not expect. She bent down to get the icepack. "Heh…" _He speaks about it so calmly…_

"I like Kyo too, but Yuki is special to me," Haru added. Tohru slowly started to follow him again, but her eyes were still huge; until he told her more.

"It wasn't always that way. When we were kids, I absolutely hated him."

"Really? Why…?"

"Because he's the rat." The words were so simple, but meaning. It made sense.

"Oh…" Tohru remembered now.

"You know the legend, right? It says, 'The rat rode on the ox's back to get to the banquet,'" he quoted. "Because of that, I unconsciously saw him as an enemy." He took the icepack from Tohru so she couldn't drop it again. "When I was little, the adults would always joke about the ox…saying he was used by the rat because he was so slow and stupid. I know they didn't mean anything by it…but still…it felt like they were laughing at _me_, saying _I_ was slow and stupid," he explained. He looked down a little, and Tohru's features softened, understanding. "I got angry at the rat for taking advantage of the ox. I was always irritable and short-tempered. That was when my black personality was born. My parents couldn't handle me, so they enrolled me in martial arts so I could vent my anger. But it didn't work." When Hatsuharu took that class, he tried his best and Kyo still told him he was horrible anyway. "I really enjoyed taking martial arts…but it didn't stop people from laughing at me."

They reached Yuki's room and they both kneeled down to the bedside. Haru lifted Yuki's head, gently so he wouldn't awake, and set the icepack down behind his head. He tested Yuki's fever again. Lowering his voice, Haru continued. "It was during that time that I confronted Yuki. I had actually never spoken to him before that. We went to different elementary schools, so we only saw each other at New Year's. I snapped, and all that built up anger came out at once." Haru told her word for word.

_Hatsuharu stood outside Yuki's window, arriving at the main house right after martial arts class. "I hate you! It's your fault that everyone laughs at me!! It's the dirty scheming rat's fault! It's all your fault!!" He stood outside the window, and Yuki didn't look at him. "You're the reason I'm slow!! The reason I'm stupid!!" He shouted the last words, panting and out of breath. He watched the back of Yuki's head intently, waiting for him to turn around and yell back. _

_After a moment, Haru heard a small and soft voice. "Is that…true? Are you…like that?" Yuki asked. "Are you really…stupid?" _

_Haru looked at the ground with wide eyes. Knowing, a defeated look came across his face. "No…No, I…I'm not…stupid," he said. He wasn't stupid. He was only stupid if he let himself be stupid, not because of the legend. He…didn't have to hate the rat. "I'm not stupid…" He hung his head. Don't judge. Don't judge me based on some story…and laugh. _

_"Yeah," Yuki said. Haru looked up, tears in his eyes, and saw Yuki smiling kindly at him from the window. "I know how you feel."_

"After that," Haru continued, "I didn't snap as often. Yuki let me say what was in my heart. He freed me. I was surprised. He was completely different from the Yuki I imagined." He looked down at him, now breathing more evenly. "I was just as guilty as the people I was mad at. I had pre-judged Yuki. I assumed he was the 'scheming rat'." Tohru stood behind Hatsuharu, understanding his feelings, now. "I'm grateful I met Yuki that day. If I hadn't, I would still hate him. And that would really be stupid."

Tohru sat down next to him and smiled. "That was a wonderful story!"

"Come to think of it…" Haru slowly turned his head. He didn't look directly at Tohru, but sort of gazed at the wall behind her. "I was surprised today, too. When Yuki was standing next to you, he had that serene smile. He never smiled like that when he was at the main house. That's why…I was wondering if it was you…who softened Yuki's heart."

Tohru gasped and almost fell back. "N—no! That is, because, um, I couldn't have done anything like that…" Her hand started to flail.

"Oh really? Want to test it and see?" Haru suggested. Tohru's hand stopped in mid-air.

"Huh?" Tohru said. Haru whispered an idea to her. "Oh…"

The blankets rustled and Haru and Tohru looked over at Yuki. He was waking up. Tohru leaned forward towards the bed like she had been, and smiled. Yuki rubbed his eyes. "Huh…? Honda-San…" he said slowly.

"You're awake?" Tohru asked. Her voice didn't come out as even as planned. She was worried about whether or not Haru's idea would work.

"Yes, I…" He sat up a little too fast. "I'm sorry for causing you trouble."

"Oh! Please, lie down!" Tohru said.

"I…How did I get here?" Yuki asked them.

"Hatsuharu-San turned into an ox for you!" Tohru smiled.

Yuki stayed sitting up. "Th—thank you…" he weakly smiled at Haru.

Haru looked at him, in a daze. "My love for you inspired me."

Yuki's expression quickly switched. Now glaring at Haru. "Why say something like that? What if Honda-San took you seriously?"

"I _am_ serious," Haru told him.

"B—but—" Both of them heard her and stopped. "It really was a wonderful story. Um…" This is where Haru's plan went into action. "Yuki…Kun…"

Yuki shook his head and didn't notice for a second. "It's alright. Don't pay attention to Ha—" He stopped suddenly. But then…he transformed. He landed on top of his reading lamp.

Tohru looked down. "Hatsuharu-San…It really can't be me…"

Hatsuharu said nothing. _"You should call him by his first name," Haru had suggested. "I'm sure he'd be happy." _Haru smiled.

_And that…is how the stormy endurance run came safely to an end. _Back at the school, everyone was with Hanajima now, playing cards. Kyo was arguing with Shigure and Sensei was losing.

_Well, more or less. That night, everyone was sick with colds. _Haru and Tohru kept an eye on the others that night. Haru sighed. "What did they expect, playing Old Maid outside in such cold weather…? Of course they'd catch colds."

Hatori walked in. _I only take family members for patients, and I still get worked to death. _Let's just say that Hatori was very, very busy that night. And…the next morning.

* * *

**A/N: I used to play Old Maid all the time. But now I don't even remember how to play it. D: Review? :D**

**_AAH - _Request granted!! :3  
**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

**A/N: Okay, so as I said, I've written this all on MicrosoftWord. I've been sharing this with my friend and sending her the document as I updated. That made me want to give out the document to more people, but the only people I know who like Fruits Basket are her and you guys!! I don't think you guys would even bother, but just saying: if you would just like to read it all on your own pace instead of waiting, checking back, waiting again, check back again, read, repeat...just send me an email that you can get from my profile. :)**

**ANYWAY! Here's chapter fifteen.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket. **

* * *

_I don't want to see. I don't…want to think about anything. _

Hanajima opened up the locker. There was one package of chocolates in it. "What's this? There's only one…" Tohru stood next to Hana, just as confused. Uo leaned against the lockers next to the 'Prince's', which happened to be the one that Saki was looking at.

"That's insane…I thought with Prince Charming's locker we'd get to see it," Uotani said.

Yuki walked over. "What are you looking for? Are you done?"

"It happens all the time in manga," Uo said. "Chocolates pour out, all like 'dosa-dosa!' That."

Yuki didn't get it. _I don't think that happens in real life…_he thought.

Hana looked up to the plain white ceiling as if it were the most beautiful sky she'd ever seen. "I think I understand…" she said, softly. "This must be like…what happens with a cuckoo's chick. Just as the cuckoo chick kicks the shrike's egg out of the nest, the Yuki fan throws out the chocolate that was there before so that her chocolate will stand out. The proof is in that wastebasket. See? It's full."

Everyone looked over. "They've been thrown away!" Tohru gasped.

"Girls can be so cruel." Uo crossed her arms as Hanajima walked over to the trash can.

"And _I _am the hawk who targets the remaining chocolate," she said. Hana picked up a little package of chocolates and looked at them.

"Eat it, eat it, why don't you?"

"But…that's Yuki-Kun's…" Tohru objected.

"I don't mind," Yuki muttered. No one heard him.

It was February 13th. People at Kaibara were celebrating Valentine's Day since it was coming up on a Sunday. Kyo walked down the hall, himself as usual. Uniform collar undone with no tie, hand in his pocket, glaring at nothing. He passed Uo and Tohru.

"Yo." Uo gave him a two fingered wave.

He looked over. "Hey." He looked back over and found Yuki, standing a few steps away. Kyo glared, while Yuki just watched him as he walked closer, filling the space between them. Kyo struck the wall right next to Yuki's neck. The impact would've seriously injured Yuki if Kyo's hand had made contact with where he so badly wanted to hit. Kyo turned and walked off.

"K—Kyo-Kun…" Tohru watched him walk away as if he'd never stopped.

Uo looked at Yuki. "He's not even hiding the fact that he hates you."

Hana opened up the chocolates as they all started walking to homeroom. They were all in the same one. "Really…He's giving off unusually naïve waves." She took a bite of the chocolate.

"Eh?" Tohru looked back at her.

"Nigh-eve?" Uo asked, also looking back. "What is that? Is he like depressed?" Yuki made no comment.

"He's in chaos," Hana said. There was a thoughtful pause. "Well, it's none of my business. As long as he doesn't cause any problems for Tohru-Kun." She smiled.

"That's true," Uo agreed.

The four of them walked into the classroom. There were separate conversations spread about the room. Kyo lounged in his chair, waiting for the teacher to show up. "But…" Uo continued, "…speaking of different…there's something creepy about their eyes."

They all looked over to a group of girls, smiling creepily and watching Yuki and the rest of the group. They were muttering amongst themselves something along the lines of giving Yuki chocolates. "Girls are really scary this time of year," she noticed. "They look like they'd rush you from a street corner."

Tohru sat down at her desk, smiling at Uo. _This might be the scariest day for the members of the Chinese zodiac, _Tohru realized.

"Kyon-Chan!" someone squealed. Tohru looked over and saw a girl with short dark hair in a cute barrette standing at Kyo's desk. Kyo looked up, startled, and saw that the girl held up a little bag with flowers on it. "Here! This chocolate is for you!"

Tohru gaped in that direction. "Girls like Kyo-Kun, too…"

Hana sat down at the desk next to Tohru. Uo stood in between them, arms crossed, and a sly smile. "Mr. Popularity. She called him Kyon-Chan." Her smile faded and she looked to Tohru. "Tohru, are you going to give them chocolate?"

Tohru smiled brightly. "Yes! I'm giving some to Shigure-San, too. But that doesn't mean they'll accept it…" She was planning on giving some to Hatori, too. "Hana-Chan, Uo-Chan, I'll give you yours on the 15th, okay?" Tohru gave her two best friends chocolate every year.

"I'm looking forward to it," Hana said.

"What do you want in return?"

The girl had just hurried off away from Kyo's desk, going over to her friend. Her friend squealed. "You did it!"

"I gave it to him!"

Two guys came up to Kyo's desk. "Nice, Kyon-Kyon. You got some chocolates."

The other looked at the chocolates and sighed. "Lucky."

"Wanna bet on how many you'll get?"

Kyo's expression became angry. "Is…today…Valentine's Day?"

"Huh? No, it's tomorrow. Don't you have a calendar?"

Kyo shot up from his seat and turned for the door. "I'm going home." The two guys, Tohru, Hana, and Uo looked over questioningly. Kyo's eyes widened. "No. I can't. It's dangerous there too. A journey…" he considered. "Yeah, I'll take a nice long journey!"

"What?!"

"I need to disappear for a while!" Kyo's voice rose. He ran for the door.

"But—?! Kyo-Kun?!" Tohru called.

"What's that about?" Hana wondered.

"What do you mean a journey?"

Just as Kyo was about to make his escape, the teacher made it to class. Kyo's face slammed into a textbook that Miss Shiraki held up. "Are you trying to cut out on homeroom? Punk."

Kyo held a hand to his face, and used the other hand to hold the wall for steady. "Sensei…" He looked up at her. He was lucky that didn't break his nose. "You meddling—!"

"Ooh? What makes you think you can talk to me that way, Orangey?" She held up a small box, smirking. "I'm ready to dye that hair of yours black at any time…With this! 'Let's Dye our Hair!'" Kyo looked at the box, and then at her. "Now that we have an understanding, sit down and behave!" He immediately ran back to his desk.

Tohru, mouth ajar, watched Miss Mayuko Shiraki, their teacher, with wide eyes. When she lost her temper, things went _really _tough. For now, Tohru was relieved, but left wondering what spooked him. Did he have bad memories connected with Valentine's Day?

Kyo may have taken his seat but that didn't mean he wasn't still mad and up for a fight. He glared as she walked over. Miss Shiraki looked down at his desk. "What's this? You got chocolate?" She smirked again.

"Shut up you old bat!"

"Shut up, yourself."

Both of them stopped, wide eyed. Standing at the school gate was Kagura. She stood up perfectly straight, waiting, and the light breeze made her dark hair swish. She had heard their footsteps before, but suddenly was alerted when they stopped. Her eyes grew large and she turned to them.

Yuki finished arranging his papers and left. He started home.

Everybody took a sharp intake of breath. Except for Kyo, of course, who very badly wished to disappear. Kagura's expression of shock turned caring. "Kyo!" She danced over to over to him. She wore a short skirt and a cropped, but long-sleeved jacket.

Yuki was about as close as Tohru and Kyo now, since they'd been stopped by Kagura. But not for long. When Yuki saw two figures whiz by, he stopped, surprised. "SHE DID COME!" Kyo said before he was out of hearing distance.

Even though Kagura chased Kyo about half a block more, Yuki heard her yell. "LOVE!!"

Tohru stumbled soon after them and stopped at Yuki just as he said, "I knew it." Kyo and Kagura's voices were heard in the distance.

"He just didn't want to see Kagura-San," Tohru guessed, a forced, shocked smile forced to her lips. A few residents looked from Kyo and Kagura, to Tohru and Yuki, and back, wondering. _I wonder if it's unfair to Kagura…for me to suddenly feel sorry for Kyo-Kun. _

"But, it's Valentine's!" Kagura protested. "It's an important day for lovers," she added quietly, smiling.

Kyo caught onto it. "What? Lovers?!" he demanded. His back was facing her, hiding the hint of a smirk on his face.

Shigure looked over disapprovingly. "Kyo-Kun, don't be rude. You'll break my house." Kyo, whose elbow was on the table, now came up and covered his face.

"Dammit!" he grumbled. "None of this would have happened if I'd cut class and gone on my journey. Damned Valentine's Day…sneaking up on me…"

Yuki rested his chin on his palm, propping his elbow up on the table. _Most people would've noticed, _he thought.

Shigure brought a kind smile to his face and faced Kagura. "Did you give him chocolates?"

"No," she answered. "Today, I came to ask him…" She brought her hands together and smiled. "…if he would like to go somewhere with me tomorrow so I can give him my chocolate on that special day!"

"What the—?!"

"You mean like a date?" Tohru interrupted. She had an excited tone to her voice. She walked in with a tray of drinks and snacks for them.

"Huh?" Kagura looked up at her, not expecting that. "Oh…Oh, no…Tohru-Kun…!" She turned and grabbed her sleeve. "You say it so bluntly—It's embarrassing!"

"You're kidding me." Kyo wasn't exactly shocked, but he couldn't believe this happening. "No way." He turned away and suddenly back when he heard loud and angry footsteps.

"You'll do it!" Kagura yelled.

"I said no!" Kyo repeated. "Why would I do something like that with someone like you?!"

Kagura was taken by surprise. She made a small gasp and pulled back. She was shocked, then mad, then hurt. Not hurt, very, very hurt. "That's…so cruel…" she whispered. Kyo looked stricken. Tears were visible in Kagura's eyes. "You could at least…be a little nicer…" She looked down, and her shoulders shook lightly. Her hands slowly came up to her face.

"Don't cry!" Kyo wailed. He looked down as she did, hands on the floor, arms straight, right in front of her.

Shigure almost burst laughing, but instead waved his hand. "Ugh! I can't watch any longer. If you must make out, please do it elsewhere," he requested.

Kyo opened his eyes and almost laughed himself. "It's none of your business, dammit!"

"Why don't we do this…" Kyo and Shigure looked to Kagura at the sound of her quiet voice. She looked like she had the most brilliant idea, and her fists were now clenched. "We'll invite Yun-Chan and Tohru-Kun and make it a double date!"

"Huh?" Both Yuki and Tohru looked over, unexpected to be brought into the conversation. Tohru's hand was halfway out to accepting a drink from Yuki, frozen.

Shigure smiled. "Oh, that would be great! Sounds like fun! I wish I could go…"

"…Oy," Kyo said, shock coming across his face, trying to let the suggestion sink in.

"Don't you think so?" Kagura commented Shigure.

"Oy! Why should I have to do anything with that damn Yuki?!" Kyo demanded.

Tohru blushed and became completely unsure. "Oh!! Uh, I—I—I've never been on a date," she stammered. "I—Is it allowed?" Her eyes were wide, as her mouth was, also, as far as open; for her, an emotional overload. They looked over at her questioningly for a moment.

Finally, Kyo sagged down onto the table in defeat. "I give up…"

After they finished with the snacks and had a few more small conversations, Kagura stood outside the door, ready to start home. "See you tomorrow! I can't wait!" she said to Kyo, as he unwillingly shook her hand.

"I can," he spat.

Kagura wasn't offended, or at least she didn't show it, and she giggle, smiling. "You know…Haru-Chan told me that you and Yun-Chan were getting along a little." She turned. "He says if you two get to know each other better, you might be able to get along even more!" Kagura looked back over her shoulder, smiling wider. "I'd like that too."

Kyo watched her as she walked away, specifically at her backpack. It the cat one, the one she never came over without.

"Haa-Kun…" Shigure trailed off. Kyo had brought up what Kagura said. "He's wise beyond years," Shigure shrugged. "People must remember to compromise."

Kyo looked elsewhere. "What are you trying to say? Don't think that we're gonna be best friends just 'cause you guys have some dumb ideas." Shigure watched him carefully, almost bored. "'Get to know each other better'? What a load of crap!"

Tohru walked in with laundry, over hearing them.

"It sucks hanging out with him all the time! I hate Yuki!!" Kyo shouted. "And I _like _hating him!!"

Shigure leaned back and sneered. Kyo stood over his desk, not looking at him. "I wonder why?" Shigure asked after a long silence. "You speak as if you're _obligated_ to hate him. But your eyes…Your eyes tell a different story. They tell me…that you're afraid to find out."

Yuki walked down the steps and into the room. Kyo stood for a moment, stunned, and then ran out. "Kyo-Kun?! Kyo-Kun!" Tohru started to go towards the door, but decided against it for now. She gave it one more moment of thought, and decided that she needed to go after him. Shigure ran his fingers through his hair, sighing, as him and Yuki listened to Tohru's leaving footsteps.

"What?" Yuki asked, hand on his hip. "What are you talking about?"

Shigure flinched and looked over his shoulder to Yuki. "Oh, you're here." He smiled. "Nothing. I was just irritated. Maybe I pushed a little too hard."

Tohru stumbled through the woods, as it appears, Kyo had gone far from the house. "Ky…Kyo-Kun?" Tohru asked timidly. Her voice got louder, searching. "Kyo-Kun…where are you?" _He really did…look scared. _

_"And I like hating him!" _

_I couldn't really…understand what he meant. _Tohru turned at a tree and glanced around. She spotted Kyo, crouched on the ground, arms wrapped around himself. She quietly approached him. "Ky…" She leaned down slightly, and he wasn't facing her. She looked at him and her expression transformed to nearly despairing. _It's as though the act of hating…is a way of protecting something, _she realized. _But what? Himself? _

_"He's in chaos."_

_I'm sure…that the answer is in such a deep place…that he'll have to figure it out for himself. _

"Forget it." Tohru straightened and listened. "What happened back there. Just forget it," he said. "It has nothing to do with you. Leave me alone, all right?"

Tohru took a deep breath. _No matter what I say…I won't be able to fix it. I may not even be able to cheer him up. But…_Tohru went down to her knees next to Kyo and tried to look at his face, but he hid it. "You know…" Tohru muttered, "You don't have to get along…It's okay. I really did think that…I wanted you to get along…but…But, it's okay," she told him. He looked up a little, finding her caring eyes. "Even if you hate him…" _If that will ease your fears… _"…It's okay."

_"I can see them."_

_"There's an amazing umeboshi…on your back, Kyo-Kun."_

_"Kyo-Kun…is wonderful, too."_

"Yeah," Kyo said, breaking the silence. He took down his arms from his face. "Yeah…" he said again, looking down and closing his eyes. "I don't want to see. I don't… want to think about it. Not yet." They stood up and started to walk back.

_Kyo-Kun's heart is very delicate, _Tohru realized. _…just like Yuki-Kun's. It's as though it will break if I touch it. They hold on to suffering…pain, anxiety…_ "About tomorrow…I know we made plans to go out…but are you sure…that you don't want to be alone with Kagura-San?" She looked away. "Um…I mean…"

"It's fine, I don't care. Just this once," he allowed.

"R—Really?" she asked nervously. He just looked over. _Someday…I hope I can wipe that all away…like they did for me. _They both looked in front of themselves again and kept going. _Because I want both of them…to be happy. _

Kyo knocked the side of her head with his fist and she stumbled. "Ow! Hey?!" she asked, almost laughing.

"Welcome home. You didn't do anything untoward to Tohru-Kun, did you?" Kyo was greeted.

He glared at Shigure and balled up his fists, fuming. "Of course not!" He added, "I'm not like YOU!!"

Tohru trailed behind Kyo. _It's like nothing happened between them. _

* * *

**A/N: I wonder how that weird** **symbol came from the other diamond symbol I originally used. Seriously, how do these things work? -techfail-**

**_An Antique Heart - _High school girls...high school girls...all for me! High school girls! :D**

**_Mimo - _Thanks! I will be sure to check out your story!  
**

**Review, bis bald, be back with chapter sixteen soon.  
**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

**A/N: Yaay! Mitsuru! That's probably me as an editor. Except I'd probably be not as teary. "SEEENNNZZAAEEIIIIIII!!! WAAAHH!!!" Lol**

**Here is chapter sixteen. :)**

**Disclaimer: No own. Me. Not. Own. Nada.  
**

* * *

_I had a dream about the one I love…and then…there was nothing I could do. _

Shigure sat at his desk, his reading glasses on the bridge of his nose, listening to his messages. _"Sensei!!"_ A distressed and familiar voice came from the small machine. _"I'll be coming over there immediately!!" _she said. It was his editor. _"Please be sure to have at least twenty pages ready!!"_ The machine beeped quietly and the office was silent.

Shigure looked at it. "She did say please, but—"

"Shigure." He looked up to find Yuki and Tohru standing in the doorway. "We're heading out soon," Yuki told him.

"Oh, go on, go on," Shigure encouraged. "That'll be nice, a double date. Are you meeting Kagura at the station?"

"Yeah," he answered.

Kyo sat in the living room which was adjacent to the office, watching the news.

Shigure got up from his desk and walked over to Yuki. "Don't be so cheap as to go Dutch or anything," he whispered.

"I know," Yuki replied impatiently.

"Kyo-Kun, make sure to treat her properly," Shigure said at usual volume.

"Bah!! This is stupid!" Kyo called back.

"Uh…um…" Tohru stepped out from behind Yuki and to Shigure, looking hopeful. "Shigure-San, are you sure you can deliver my Valentine's chocolate to Hatori and the rest?"

"It's okay, I won't eat them."

"N—no, I know that…You just seem to have a lot of work to do and everything," she noticed, a little embarrassed.

"Let him handle it," Yuki told her. He became serious. "There's no need for you to go to the main house."

"O…Okay."

Shigure laughed, just then remembering that Yuki and Kyo didn't have a clue. _She already has once. _He went along. "Yes…It's just as Yuki-Kun says." He patted the top of Tohru's head. He smiled kindly. "Tohru-Kun…have fun, okay?"

After a short hesitation, Tohru smiled back. "I will."

"Oy!" Kyo called from the door. "If you're coming, hurry up!"

"O—Okay!" Tohru called back. She rushed down to the front door where Yuki and Kyo were waiting.

Shigure came outside by the time they'd started walking. The phone rang from inside the house. Shigure didn't bother to answer it. Instead, he listened to his voice message. _I'm not home right now, please leave a message at the beep. _

There was a short beep. _Sensei!! One more thing! _He rushed inside at the voice of his editor, Mitsuru. _I don't care if you pretend to be out, but just don't run away!! _Shigure came through the door to his office just as the message ended.

_Beep. _"That's an interesting thing to say," Shigure muttered. He took off his glasses and set them on the desk. He sat back down in his chair. "Well, if that's the kind of behavior she expects from me, I must do my part to not let her down!" He laughed at himself, having too much fun.

"Kyo-Kun…!" Kagura cooed. She wrapped her arms around him from behind and Kyo tried to pull away. "I was so excited about today, I couldn't sleep!"

"Oh, you must be tired. Better go home and take a nap," Kyo grumbled. He struggled against her grip. Yuki glared at him.

Tohru and Yuki stood silently side by side. Yuki noticed that she looked a little disturbed. "Are you still worried about Shigure?"

"Eh?" She looked up. "Uh—um—" she stammered. She looked down, unable to hinder her thoughts, as usual. "Shigure-San is always smiling…so I can't tell if I'm causing him trouble or not."

Yuki smiled and his eyelids flickered shut. "Aside from Hatori, there are very few people who can tell…what Shigure is thinking," he said. "A long time ago…someone said: 'He's like a ripple on the water.'" Tohru glanced up, questions filling her mind. Who? Why? When? Yuki continued, "'If you try to bring it close to you, it pulls away.'" he quoted the person. "'Thought it may brush against your feet…if you try to catch it, it will pull farther away. He's a man who can't be caught.'" He paused. "That's such a poetic way of putting it. If you ask me, he's more like a jellyfish floating on ripples." He stuck his hands in his pockets.

Tohru laughed a little. She was sure that someone else had said that, too. A guess would be Hatori.

"Yun-Chan! Tohru-Kun!" Kagura called. She and Kyo had already started walking. "If we don't get going soon, the movie'll start without us!"

"Ah! Okay!" Tohru called back. She stumbled over to them, trying to catch up, while Yuki just leaned against the wall with his arms crossed, wondering if he _wanted_ to catch up…

"We're going to see a movie?" Yuki asked.

_"He's always smiling…"_

He ran his fingers through his hair and started walking. _He may be smiling on the outside…but on the inside, he's up to something, _he suspected.

"Here, Haa-San!" Shigure smiled zestfully and held up a little pink bag with white polka dots on it. "Some Valentine's chocolate _from me_!"

Hatori crossed his arms and frowned at him. They stood there for a moment, which ended with Hatori forcefully slamming the door shut only ten seconds after opening it. Shigure stood, ridged and stunned.

He slowly slid the door back open and leaned in. "Okay. I lied. It's from Tohru-Kun." Hatori didn't look at him. "Please let me in…"

Hatori's head was just about to implode. _Idiot…_he viewed Shigure. He had no choice. Hatori sighed and went to the table. Shigure followed quickly and handed Hatori his gift. "She's very thoughtful," Hatori commented.

Shigure sat down. "She _is _thoughtful," he agreed. One of the main house servants came by with a tray to give them a drink. They each requested tea. "There's some for Momitchi and Haa-Kun, too. She wanted to bring it here herself…" –he smiled— "…but I volunteered to deliver it instead." The servant's hand came down to set his teacup on the table. "Because—She's out on a date! That's right! She and Yuki-Kun, and Kyo-Kun and Kagura are on a double date."

Sitting down, a confused look came to Hatori's features. "That's…unexpected."

"Isn't it?! Yuki and Kyo!" he laughed. "Who would have guessed?"

"Tohru-Kun is quite an influence on them," Hatori noticed.

"Right about now, they should be enjoying a movie…"

xxx

The titles flashed across the screen.

_**MOGETA: The Last Crusade**_

_'Mogeta, no! Don't give in to the forces of evil!' _a small child on the screen cried. The main character.

_'Moget…TAAA!' _Mogeta growled. Mogeta was basically a rectangular bodied creature with long triangular ears.

The audience murmured about the movie and Mogeta. Kagura and Tohru's eyes were glued to the screen. Kyo and Yuki were so bored, they were laughing at themselves. Well, Kyo was.

xxx

Hatori smiled, a rare action of him. "That…might be her influence. She does have something about her…that softens people," he noticed.

Shigure lit a match, since he didn't own a lighter, and ignited his cigarette. "A while ago…I was picking on Kyo-Kun a bit…and he got very upset." He waved the match around a bit to let it out. He dropped it and it landed in the ash tray with a _clink_. "But when he came back with Tohru-Kun, it was as though nothing had happened. She's like a tranquilizer for those two," he observed.

After taking a cigarette, Hatori said, "You must be very pleased with yourself. Everything's going just as you planned." He lit it and dropped the match into the ash tray.

Shigure blew out smoke and watched Hatori, taken back, and then annoyed. "Why must you take that tone with me? Ask your conscience. You say you're not using her?"

"You're lying. You and Akito are doing a fine job…of using Honda-Kun as your pawn…for your own selfish reasons."

Hatori looked at Shigure, almost accusingly, but not harsh. Shigure looked away. After a sigh, he turned back to look at Hatori with a grin. "Do you remember the morning I had that dream?" he asked. "You, me, and Aaya all cried, remember? That morning…it became something painful for you two. But for me…it still remains…in my heart." _That longing…That passion…Paralyzingly sweet and sad. _

_A younger Shigure sat down on a ledge, Hatori standing nearby. "I…I want to make it last forever," Shigure told him that day. "I want to be able to hold it in my hands." He paused. "And I will."_

Now, Shigure put his hand over his heart, leaning back in his chair. "I still…remember…that vow. If I can make it happen, I won't feel guilty about...the means to that end. Even if someone gets hurt in the process." He smirked. Hatori leaned back and ran his fingers through his hair. "There are times…when I hate myself for it," Shigure continued. Especially when I see Tohru-Kun. It's not what you think. She really is…a good kid," he admitted. "Even though she is a tranquilizer for Yuki-Kun and Kyo-Kun…it just seems to me that everything's coming together so…cleanly. I'm forced to see…that I may be…the filthiest one." Shigure paused to smile to himself. "Well," he said in a more cheerful tone, "I really could use a bath. But I digress…" Hatori said nothing, no amusement showing, so Shigure just got back to the point. "That's why, Hatori, I envy…even you. I may be…the most cursed of us all."

Seconds later, the same main house servant rushed back in. "Akito-San is ready for his checkup," she announced.

"Oh…All right," Hatori replied.

"Yes, Sensei!" Shigure said animatedly. He held up a hand. "Allow me to stand in for you!!"

"I thought you'd say that. When you get home, be sure to thank Honda-Kun for me."

"Will do!" They both walked outside and Shigure sat down on the ledge of the porch, about to leave.

"Shigure…" Hatori said, "…whatever result this may bring out…make sure you're ready for it. It may be Yuki or Kyo…or even Honda-Kun…I don't know who, But one of these days, someone will let loose on you," he warned.

Shigure laughed. "Yeah, I know. I hate pain, but I guess it can't be helped. But...I hate Haa-San's injections even more. I'm not going to be on your side." He stood up.

"But, I won't…be your enemy, either." Shigure looked up and over his shoulder at Hatori—Hatori was a bit taller than him—and smiled.

"Well, I'll see you later," Shigure said. He started to walk away.

"Shigure." He looked back at his name. "Don't let him catch a cold." Shigure smiled and kept walking. Hatori looked down and stuffed his hands in his pockets. "I'm just as dirty…as you are."

Hatori put his face in his hands. _You can take…my teeth…or my bones. They don't matter to me._

"Akito-San."

"Shigure…you're here."

"In the flesh. I came to see you, Akito-San."

"Well…Isn't that obvious?"

Shigure smiled in the darkness. _I will get it. And I'll do whatever it takes to get there. Even lie or use people. _"I guess it is," he muttered, "…because you are the most important," —he leaned down and held Akito's face in his hands—"my dear Akito-San." _I will make that dream last forever._

_xxx  
_

"That was fun."

"Yeah…It was so touching!"

"I know!" Kagura squealed. Her and Tohru walked ahead of Yuki and Kyo. "I liked the part…where Mogeta was behind the feet of the true emperor!"

"I cried!" Tohru told her.

"Really…I'm glad…you were so touched. By the movie," Yuki said.

_Whatever. As long as I can finally ditch Kagura, _Kyo thought, not caring about how anyone feels about the movie or any nonsense like that.

"Since we've become such good friends, call me Kagura-Chan!" Kagura held her hand out to Tohru and she took it. They both smiled. "I want to try Tohru-Kun's cooking before I go," Kagura said.

"WHAT?" Kyo hollered. "YOU'RE SHAMELESS. Go home!! Right now!! You heard me!"

Kagura looked back, her and Tohru stopped walking. "Kyo-Kun?" She smiled. "Oh…Kyo-Kun's embarrassed. You really are Mr….Bashful!" Right on the last word her pointing finger painfully connected with the center of Kyo's forehead, causing him to shout and stagger back.

While Kagura and Kyo fell behind, arguing, Tohru caught up to Yuki. "It is pretty late…" Yuki noticed, checking his watch. "I wonder if Shigure's home."

Tohru, about to respond, was stopped by a frightening sight. A young woman, short and light red-brown hair cut close to her head, shaking. The woman wore a business shirt and skirt. She was kneeled against a wall with her fists holding her up, on the wall above her head. She looked troubled. She held something in her hand, but it was unseen. She walked over, unsure. "Um…excuse me…? Is something…wrong?" she asked in her most kind voice.

"Wrong?" she clarified. Her voice came out strangled and disturbed. "No…No, I'm fine now. Completely fine," she insisted.

"Huh?"

"Now, if you don't mind, I'm going to—KILL MYSELF!!" she screamed. She revealed in her hand what was a utility knife. She slid up the blade and held it up.

"WHAT?!" Tohru screamed. Yuki rushed over, followed by Shigure, who was just returning home.

"If you're going to die, would you mind not doing it on my doorstep?" he asked, leaning down to the woman.

"Sh—Shigure-San!!" Tohru stammered.

"Hey, welcome back."

Kyo and Kagura stopped their arguing and fighting to look over to the scene. The woman gripped the knife, and looked back at the three with tears streaking down her face. "SENSEI!!!" she wailed.

Shigure stood back up. "This is my editor," he told Tohru and Yuki with a smile.

"Sensei, I _hate_ you," his editor sniffled, rubbing her eyes. "You tricked me!" They were now in his office, and Shigure was sitting near the bookshelf, putting his glasses back on, while she sat as far away as possible. "Didn't I ask you not to run away?" she sobbed.

He smiled widely. "I didn't run away. I just went out."

"It's the same thing!!" she wailed. She dropped her head low and into her hands again and sobbed some more.

"Micchan," —Shigure called her by her nickname—, "Qué será será. Whatever will be, will be. What won't happen, won't," he said.

"That's not good enough!!" Mitsuru bellowed.

Tohru popped her head into the room. She cautiously walked over to Mitsuru with a cup of tea. "Ah…Um…Have some tea…?" she offered. Micchan wailed in response. Tohru went over to Shigure, looking worried. "Will she be okay?"

Shigure leaned over. "She'll be fine. Don't worry about her. Oh, yeah…Haa-San wanted me to thank you."

"Yum, yum, yum!" Momiji laughed.

Haru took a bite. "This is good."

"Don't tell me…" Hatori said.

"I'm so glad they liked it!!" she beamed.

"Well…where's mine?" Shigure laughed.

"I'm making it right now," she told him. "I'll be honored if you accept it!"

Shigure laughed and looked down, scratching the back of his head. Mitsuru ran over, hands shaking before her, and yelled, "Your hand!! Your hand!! It's moving!! Someone get some paper!!"

"Yes, yes," Shigure chuckled.

Mitsuru brought her hand up and wiped her face of her tears. "Please take your job a little more seriously. Isn't your job important to you?"

"Huh? The most important thing to me…has always been _me_." He leaned back and looked up at her.

"Then do your job for your own sake!" she yelled. She hunched over and started crying again, now that she had recovered from her first episode. "Because if you don't, you're forcing me to make your life as miserable as mine!"

"Yes, yes," he replied calmly, holding his hands up.

"I will not let you get away with it this time," Mitsuru continued. "I'll follow you wherever you go…"

"Well, that's frightening," Shigure said. He bent over, resting his chin on his palm, elbow on his knee. He smiled to himself.

_Catch me…if you can._

* * *

**A/N: I bet I could catch him. HA! :]**

**Bis bald! R&R! :3**

**OH AND: I have no clue if this has been happening but there's supposed to be page breaks, like 3 little symbols that show when I'm changing between places and characters and stuff, but I looked at this chapter and they weren't there! I added in little x's, but they weren't there before!! I hope it hasn't happened. D;  
**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

**A/N: You know what I've wondered for a while? Mayuko Shiraki... what kind of teacher is she?? I've always thought she was kind of like a language arts teacher....or something like that. :P**

**Disclaimer: I wish.  
**

* * *

"All right, that's enough," Mrs. Shiraki announced. Pencils were heard, falling down onto their desks by the hands of relieved students. "Pencils down everyone."

"No one uses pencils anymore!" one student near the front called out. "It's all about mechanical pencils now!"

Mrs. Shiraki sat on her desk. "Shut up. You lose ten points. Pass your papers to the front. And don't even think of running out yet—you still have homeroom."

Tohru sighed and stretched her arms out in front of her, a smile of relief over her face. _Finals are over! _she thought happily. She loved the feeling of freedom afterward, even thought studying beforehand was hard.

"Honda-San…how did it go?" Yuki smiled and Tohru looked up.

"Yuki-Kun!" Tohru beamed and jumped up from her seat. "It went really well. I was able to answer a lot more questions than usual!"

"What?!" Both of them turned to see a proud Arisa Uo and a softly smiling Saki Hana. "You did well?! That's great!" Uo told her.

They both went to her sides and Uo ruffled her hair. They all smiled. "Yes!" Tohru said.

"Because you're the type that can do anything if you put your mind to it," Hana praised. She rested her hand on Tohru's shoulder.

"Yuki-Kun helped me study." Yuki wasn't paying much attention right now, but he did help her study, and they got it done, even with Shigure getting in the way. "Even though he had his own studying to do, he took the time to explain things so that I could understand them. Thank you so much!" She looked over to him, a smile still clear on her face.

He looked up, previously distracted. Yuki smiled a sweeter smile. "Oh, come on…I didn't do that much," he insisted.

Most of his unwanted fan club, aka stalker club, snapped their heads over. They thought words along the lines of _Oh my god, he's smiling! _and _Oh no! I'm too afraid of the electro wave girl to get near him! _

Someone in the class looked over. "Hey, Hanajima, I bet you did great," he said.

"Really?" she asked, in a deadpan manner, like always.

"Well, you sure look smart, and people say you can sense waves or something. How did you do last semester's finals?"

"Let's see…" she started off. She gazed. "I think…I had to take supplementary lessons every day…and my parents were called in for conferences…Yes, mother was crying…"

There was a prolonged silence. He shook lightly. "That's…I mean…What about your sixth sense?"

"A sixth sense cannot make up for a total lack of common sense," she answered simply, slowly turning her eyes to him.

"Relax, Hanajima," Uo laughed. "There are a lot of very successful people who are stupid."

"Hey!" Kyo interjected, sitting nearby. "You're not talking about _me _are you?"

"Huh?" Uo leaned over him, hands on her hips. "Sure I am!"

"I'VE NEVER HAD TO TAKE EXTRA LESSONS OR HAVE MY PARENTS CALLED IN!!" he retorted.

"Believe it or not," someone added in, "Kyon-Kyon actually does study."

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN 'ACTUALLY?!'"

"Hmm, I didn't think he'd be able to make time between his fights," Uo said. She thought a moment. "Oh, I get it…You're one of _them_. One of those people who studies all the time but ends up blowing tests because he studied all the wrong things."

The student that no one really knew well stood next to Uotani. He laughed, but with an angry expression. "You didn't do that again, did you?"

"I'm going to strangle you BOTH," Kyo grumbled.

Tohru and Yuki stood a good distance away, inspecting the bickering. "He has been closed up in his room a lot recently," Tohru noticed. "I guess he was studying."

"So it would seem," Yuki replied, not taking his eyes off of the argument.

Tohru looked back to Kyo and smiled softly. _It's strange to imagine him studying. Moving around energetically fits him better…_

"Honda!" Mrs. Shiraki called from the door.

"Yes?" Tohru asked, now alerted.

"C'mere a sec." She leaned on the doorway.

Yuki and Kyo watched as she ran over to the teacher and they started talking. Mrs. Shiraki's face was serious at first, and Tohru kept her smile, but only a few seconds. Then Tohru dropped her head and the teacher held up a hand indicating that whatever was wrong, was okay and amendable. The boys gazed their way with questioning looks. Tohru looked up and smiled again, running back over to Yuki and Kyo. "Is something wrong?" Yuki asked, almost cautious.

Tohru stood stiffly, smiling now nervously. "Uh…That is…Um…" She tapped her two fingertips together continuously. "I've got to work hard!" She clenched her fist determinedly. She held it up. "Go, work, go! Woo!" she cheered.

"Huh?" Yuki said. Kyo cocked an eyebrow. Uo and Hana looked at each other.

"It's great that your tests are over," Momiji told Tohru that night. He smiled in his dressy, ruffles hemmed, skort and stockings. He wore one of his cute hats too, that kind that resembled a bonnet. "You can finally take a break from studying!" He and Tohru kneeled on the floor, each of them cleaning the floor with a small cloth, and a bucket of water beside them. It was really Tohru's job to do, but Momiji didn't _have _anything to do, and he was her friend, so he was helping her.

"Yes! It's almost time for spring break, and then the new term…Time really does fly."

"It sure does," Momiji agreed. They both smiled. "Ah! Today I'm going with you to Shii-Chan's house. Vati and Shii-Chan said it's okay."

"Really—"

"Because!! I have a present!" Momiji announced excitedly, jumping to his feet.

"A present?! What is it?"

Momiji giggled. "It's—" He stopped himself. "Oh! It's a secret until we get back!"

"I—I can't wait!" Tohru smiled.

Over a few feet away, three co-workers were wondering who Momiji was. _Does anyone know who that child is? He's awfully cute… _Momiji is the son of the President of the building, so they should know.

"Guten Aberd!" Momiji waved to Shigure as him, Tohru, and Yuki walked in. Yuki knew it was going to be a long night…

Momiji walked around. "This is the first time I've been to Shii-Chan's house. I'm so excited!"

"Oh, you're here." Shigure smiled. "You're awfully hyper for so late at night," he noted.

Kyo casually stepped out of the bathroom, dressed with a towel around his neck. He stopped when he looked at Momiji and scowled. "Oh great. What are _you _doing here?"

"You're all clean Kyo!" Momiji giggled.

"You know…your hyper energy really pisses me off!" Kyo hollered, giving Momiji multiple noogies.

"Kyo is a meanie!" Momiji cried.

"Momiji-Kun are you hungry?" Tohru asked.

"I am!" He smiled.

"Like I was saying…" Kyo continued the noogies and Momiji got upset again.

"Ky—Kyo-Kun…"

_Could _they _be quiet already? _Yuki wished for it.

"Momitchi," Shigure said, "have you told her why you're staying the night?" he asked, right after everyone had a snack.

"Uh-uh. Not yet." He smiled and held up a finger. "Question for Tohru!" he announced.

"Er—Uh, yes?"

"What day is today?!"

"Um, well, today is…the fifteenth," she said slowly.

"Ding ding ding! March 14th is white day! It's a day late though. Tomorrow, I'm giving Tohru a trip to the onsen!!" he announced. He had been planning for a while to take her to a hot springs, or onsen.

"Huh?" Tohru squeaked.

"I call it, 'Mine and Tohru's Steamy Onsen Heartful Tour!'"

"You don't have to name it," Shigure told him.

"What onsen are you going to?" wondered Yuki.

"See! There's one run by the Sohmas right?"

"Oh…that one."

"ON…Onsen…!" Tohru gasped. Her hand flew to her chest and she gasped over and over again. "I couldn't go to such an extravagant place and forget about mom. I wonder if she'd forgive me…" She gazed into space with wide eyes.

"Um, Tohru-Kun, it's just an onsen," Shigure told her. "He's not asking you to go to Paris or anything. It would be a shame to refuse. You can take this opportunity to rest from your job and your chores," he attempted to make it sound nice, although it _should _sound pretty wonderful already.

"Yeah! I'm sure if Tohru is happy, Tohru's mutti is happy too!" Momiji said. His smile dropped, and he took her hands. "Or…don't you like it?"

"I love it…!" Tohru smiled and her eyes stung. She wasn't used to being appreciated like this. "I'm so very happy!" she told him. They sat down.

"Yuki and Kyo are coming too!" Momiji told her.

"You can't make decisions for other people, _damn kid_!!" Kyo growled.

"You're coming, you're coming!" Momiji cried. He tugged on Kyo's sleeve, trying to persuade him.

"Gimme a break. What the hell gave you that idea!?!"

"And Yuki? Yuki's coming, right?"

Yuki, sitting at the table, resting his head in his hand, not particularly paying attention, looked up. He sat up and smiled. "I'll go," he said. "Since you went to all the trouble."

"Yuki says he's coming!!" Momiji cheered.

"Then there's no way I'm going!!" Kyo yelled.

"Ah, oh yeah," Shigure interrupted. He looked up. "I'm sorry to change the subject, but I just remembered…Tohru-Kun, I understand you haven't paid last month's deposit for your class trip?"

"OH?!" Tohru asked, stiff.

"Your grandfather got a call from the teacher and called me. He said he'll pay for it if he needs to."

"NO!! He can't! Last month, that is…a lot happened, um…" she stammered. "B—but I can pay it off with the money I earn at work this month, so it's okay. I already told the teacher. I—I'm sorry for causing you trouble!"

_Oh…that's what they were talking about,_ Kyo and Yuki realized, remembering earlier in the day after exams.

"But, Tohru-Kun, you work so hard," Shigure chuckled. "Where did the money—?"

Everyone—except for Momiji—came to a sudden realization. _To pay for…the valentine's chocolate?_

"Where are you going on your trip?" Momiji asked about the field trip.

"It's still undecided…"

"YOU IDIO—"

"KYO-KUN!!"

Kyo went to _maximum _rage and imploded while Tohru and Momiji lurched away when he bent over them, screaming. They all stopped and Kyo stood back up slowly, gaining back his calm.

He shook, trying to contain himself and pointed. "The bath…" he managed through clenched teeth, "you…go…"

"Huh…? Ah…Oh…" Tohru muttered.

"Very good, very good," Shigure said. "You controlled your anger well." Kyo hunched over, relieved. "Besides, it's not like chocolate falls from the sky. Obviously Tohru-Kun had to pay for it out of her own pocket."

"Why didn't we realize…?" Yuki sighed, looking down.

"Because she keeps _smiling_ like that!!" Kyo balled up his fists and threw himself down and sat on the floor. "How could we…?! Why does she have to be like that?! She's only making things harder on herself!" Momiji munched on his cookie, listening intently with childish eyes. "She could have used that money to buy herself some clothes or shoes or pay her deposit!! She's such an idiot! One day, she'll really regret it! She's going to be at a disadvantage her whole life!!"

"Hey, hey!" Momiji interrupted, asking for attention. "You know, yesterday I had a class meeting," he said.

Kyo looked at him like he was crazy. "Huh?"

"And there was a kid who brought a book to the class meeting. It was called, 'A Collection of Funny Stories'. This kid really likes weird books. Last time he brought one called "A Universe of Stew'," Momiji laughed.

"What are you talking about?" Yuki asked.

"Oh, yeah. Anyway, we all read the book together. There was one story in there…a story called, 'The Most Foolish Traveler in the World'. A foolish traveler was on a journey," Momiji told, "He was stupid because he was easily tricked. The townspeople took advantage of him. On that journey, he was tricked into giving away all his money, clothes, and shoes. But the traveler was foolish, so when the townspeople lied to him saying, 'This will really help,' …tears would stream down his face…and he would say, 'Please be happy.'

"When he gave away his last belonging…he was naked and ashamed to be seen. So he decided to travel in the forest. Then he met the monsters who lived in the forest. They wanted to eat him, so they tricked him with clever words. Of course, the traveler was fooled and when the monsters asked, he gave up his arms and his legs." Momiji took a thoughtful pause. "Eventually," he said, "the traveler was nothing but a head. He even gave his eyes to the last monster he met.

"As the monster munched on his eyes…he said, 'Thank you. I'll give you this in return.' And left him. But that was a lie, too. His gift was a single piece of paper that had 'fool' written on it. But the traveler cried and cried, saying, 'Thank you, thank you. This is the first time anyone's given me anything. I'm so happy. Thank you. Thank you.' And tears kept flowing from his eye sockets. And while he was crying…he died."

The sentence hung there for a while. Everyone looked thoughtful. Yuki, Kyo, Shigure. "Everyone…laughed." Momiji muttered. "While they laughed…I closed my eyes…and thought about the traveler. I thought about the traveler who was tricked into being nothing but a crying head saying, 'Thank you'. And…I thought…how…lucky…he was."

Shigure smiled soft and ruffled Momiji's curly blond hair. "Loss…Suffering," Momiji continued. "It's pointless to think about them. The traveler didn't think about them. That…might be stupid to some people…but it's not stupid to me. I won't trick anyone, even if other people think that person deserves it. I just want to make them happy. Yuki? Kyo? Do you really think that's stupid? When you close your eyes…what do you think?"

There had never been a more considerate silence between the two. They gazed at the floor, thinking about how they really feel. _Oh…How…?_

"I'll go."

"Eh?" Tohru looked over her shoulder, hanging up the sheets outside. "Ah! Kyo-Kun!" She smiled. "Good morn—"

"The onsen," said Kyo. "I'll go too."

"Huh?" Tohru froze.

"Because I don't have a return gift or anything." He looked defeated. "So instead, I'll put up with Yuki and go with you." Kyo looked away. "I don't know if you care whether or not I go…but—" He froze and looked to her.

In a flash she was right in front of him. "No, no, I do care!" Tohru was so close that Kyo was forced to lean backwards. "It will be so much more fun with you there! I'm so happy!!" She was on the verge of happy tears. "Thank you so much! I'm so happy! Thank you so much!" Kyo's eyes grew wide.

_'Thank you, thank you. This is the first time anyone's given me anything. I'm so happy. Thank you. Thank you.'_

"You…You really are…hopeless," Kyo muttered. He cocked his head in a genuinely true smile. But, he didn't know what was coming in result of that.

Someone grabbed his sleeve. Hint: Almost a full foot shorter than him, and usually extremely hyperactive. "Kyo's got the hots!" Momiji declared. He started giggling. Kyo stood, frozen completely.

"I DO NOT!!" he shouted back, finally.

"You've got the hots!"

"SHUT UP!!"

Yuki walked into the kitchen and heard the noise from there. He walked towards the porch. "What are they yelling about?" he mumbled.

Tohru came up to the porch with a basket of clean laundry as he came out the door. "Ah! Good morning! Kyo-Kun says he'll come with us to the onsen!"

Yuki rubbed his eyes. Then he caught on. "Eh?" Tohru walked away once he reacted so he just crossed his arms and looked down. _Well, _he thought, _I guess there's nothing I can do…_

Back in the yard, Momiji was now with Tohru. "I can't wait to go to the onsen!"

"Yes!!" Tohru agreed. They both smiled brightly.

"You know," Momiji told Tohru, "a bus is gonna come pick us up! Then it'll bring us directly to the onsen!"

"Really?!" Tohru exclaimed. "Th-that's great!"

_Our steamy onsen tour…was about to begin._

* * *

**A/N: Yay!! Onsen!! And I'd like someone to tell me something in the reviews I'm really wondering... Are there page breaks?! There's a few in each chapter. Like can someone just tell me...Near the end, after Momiji tells the story, and then when Kyo says he'll go to the onsen the next morning...is there like three little symbols seperating those two parts? I want to know so I can fix it if it's not there...**

**R&R! Bis bald!  
**


	18. Chapter Eighteen

**A/N: I still really need someone to tell me if there are any page breaks at ALL in these. I mean, as long as you understand that it's going to a different setting, I guess it's fine. Anyway...I recently found a petition for a second season of Fruits Basket! I have no idea how long it's been there, but I signed it! There's nearly 200,000 signatures, so I'm hoping TokyoPop is going to do something...LOL :P**

**Enjoy the story!**

**Disclaimer: I wish...Oh...I wish...  
**

* * *

_And so we began our steamy onsen tour! _

Tohru's face lit up and she looked at the great resort before her. "Wow!" she gasped. "This is such a pretty inn!"

"The inside's pretty too!" Momiji told her. Kyo and Yuki stood behind them, either looking around or just standing.

The driver of the bus that took them there stepped out. "I'll be back to pick you up tomorrow," he grinned.

"'Kay!" Momiji called over his shoulder. The four of them walked towards the door.

Tohru thought over the wonderful day. She was picked up with Yuki and Kyo by a charter bus, and now she stood before a glorious hot springs resort. "I feel like a Princess…" She smiled.

"Princess Tohru!" Momiji laughed. Kyo looked away, scowling. _It's just an onsen, don't get too excited. _

They were about to go through the open door and into the lobby, but a woman crawled to the doorway. She looked disturbed and exhausted. There were dark circles—not just under—but _around _her eyes, and it looked frightening. She held herself up on her knees on the edge of the door. "W…Welcome…to…my humble…inn…" She breathed jaggedly.

Everyone stopped and it was quiet, which Momiji took as a needing of explanation. "She's the concubine!" Momiji said.

"That's concierge," Yuki corrected.

"Ughuaaah!!" the hostess wailed in Tohru's face, holding up her hands and curling her fingers tensely. "MAKE YOURSELVES AT HOME!!"

"Yes, ma'am!!" Tohru screamed back, eyes wide, almost falling over.

Once everyone was calmed back down, the woman started to lead them to their room. "Our concubine is in the Sohma family too," Momiji said, facing up to Tohru. "Her body is weak, so she lives here for medical reasons.

"I see…" Tohru said softly. Yuki and Kyo rolled their eyes.

The hostess glanced back and chuckled. "I'm sorry for scaring you…"

"It's okay…Being so weak…" Tohru muttered, "This job must be hard on you, Okami-San," Tohru used the hostess term politely.

The woman laughed weakly. "That's not the case…Normally, there's someone else who acts as Okami in my place. I guide the delinquents from the shadows, so to speak. But today, since the young masters are here…"

"That means you're not Okami anymore," Kyo pointed out immediately.

"Uh…um, please, don't push yourself," Tohru said, "Your health is the most important thing."

The hostess smiled gently. "My, my…What a kind girl…Thank you," she said. "I had hoped Shigure-Bocchan would come, too. Is he busy with work…?"

"Shigure-Bocchan?!" Kyo exclaimed. "Isn't he too old to be called 'Young Master'?"

Kyo was ignored and Yuki replied to the woman, "He has a deadline coming up."

Tohru watched the hostess carefully while Momiji was glued to her side, smiling up at her, so caring. _I know she's a member of the Sohma family…But I wonder if Okami-San knows about the Chinese zodiac._ Tohru opened her mouth as if she had gasped, but it was silent and to herself._ Could she be a member of the zodiac?!_

"Come, come, your room awaits," the Okami said, sliding open the door.

"It's so big!" Momiji gasped.

"Tohru-San, your room is next to the Young Masters'…"

"Ah! Yes!" Tohru acknowledged.

Kyo turned to the woman, not so happy. "Don't tell me I'm in the same room as that damn Yuki…?"

The woman chuckled. "You get along as poorly as ever, I see. Don't worry. You can separate the room with a screen."

"That's not the problem!!" he snapped back. "In a classy place like this, I shouldn't _have _to share a room with Yuki!!"

"You're just saying that…" Momiji pointed his finger, "…because you want to share a room with _Tohru_!" he accused.

"Ah?!"

"Disgusting," Yuki commented.

"Oh, um…"

"Th—that's not what I meant!!" Kyo defended. "Momiji, don't say stuff like—!!"

"—That," the hostess finished, firmly. It was silent for a moment, and everyone knew what was just about to happen. The woman's eyes flashed angrily as she turned to Kyo and began her rage. "KYO-CHAN!!" she wailed. "To think that you would want to stay in a room with a girl even if you are the cat I believed you were a good boy when did you become such a lascivious child?! Oh, how frightful!!"

"You're the frightful one!!" Kyo pulled back.

"I WILL APOLOGIZE ON YOUR BEHALF I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD I'M SORRY FOR HIS LASCIVIOUSNESS!! I'M SO SORRY!!"

"That's not what I meant! Fine! I'll stay with Yuki!!"

"Joy!" Momiji cheered.

"Joy," Yuki muttered sarcastically. "Is she really that weak?"

"Ah…finally, it's quiet," Kyo sighed, falling back into a chair. Yuki stood near, carefully reading over a pamphlet for the resort. The hostess had just left them after checking in, making sure they're happy with the room, etcetera.

"There's still time before dinner, so—the bath! Let's go!!" Momiji begged. He already had a towel and everything, ready, set, prepared for go.

"Okay!" Tohru decided, smiling.

"Let's go in together!!"

"Okay!" she accepted again.

Yuki glanced up, eyes narrow and Kyo jumped up from his seat to tower overtop of Momiji. "_You're_ the most lascivious of all!!" he growled.

Momiji burst into tears immediately, wailing, "Why??"

"Uh, um, but Momiji is still so small, I…"

"Huh? Now you're defending?!" he demanded from her.\

As Momiji continued to cry and Kyo continued to yell, Yuki sighed thinking how immature they are. He looked over to his bag and saw a small pouch with a fine decoration on the cloth. It was buttoned shut, waiting. Yuki walked over to it and picked it up. He began his ideas about giving it in his head, but he couldn't hear himself think due to Momiji.

"I'm going in! I'M GOING IN!!" Momiji screeched desperately. Yuki knew that now he had to intervene.

"Momiji!" he said firmly and clearly. He walked over to him and forced Momiji to look at him and listen. Momiji's eyes glistened and Yuki looked at him, intense. "Don't be so selfish," Yuki lowered his voice. "You didn't bring Honda-San here to bother her, did you?"

Yuki brought his hands down and Momiji looked at the floor. "…Nein…" Momiji answered. Kyo sighed loudly, obviously irritated with this whole thing. "Let's sleep together tonight, okay?!" Momiji said, wheeling around back to Tohru, his energy-filled self again.

Kyo and Yuki thought the same and had the same defeated expression. _He doesn't get it…_

"This is amazing!" Tohru gasped, kneeling on the edge of the hot spring, hair braided and tucked. "My first open-air bath!" It seemed like someone the size of Momiji could swim in it; which he was actually doing on the other separate side of the hot springs, which greatly disturbed Yuki.

Tohru picked up her bag and rummaged through it. "Let's see…Now, now…Tah-daah! Perfect." She held one of her many picture of her mother, and it was wrapped in plastic so it couldn't get ruined by accident.

She slowly lowered into the water. Tohru smiled, looking at her mother's picture bobbing in the water. "What do you think mom? Does it feel good?"

"My, my…" an older woman's voice said from the entrance.

Tohru looked up, smile still stuck on her face. "Okami-San!" she greeted.

"How's the water? They say this onsen is good for your health. I soak in it several times a day," she added.

"It's very good for recuperation, isn't it?" Tohru asked.

The Okami joined Tohru. Forgetting to answer, she just asked, "Is that an iei?" She looked at the picture of her deceased mother.

"Ah! Yes. It's my mother. She passed away last year. I wanted my mom to enjoy the onsen too!"

The woman looked ahead; hand on her cheek in slight wonder. "My…that's a very nice thought…" She smiled. "I forgot to tell you this earlier…but my son is a member of the Chinese zodiac too. Like Yun-Bocchan and the others…The spirit of the monkey possesses him."

"Eh?!" Tohru was caught off guard. She jumped, making her towel fall off her head.

"When I first heard about you Tohru-San, to be honest…I was uneasy…" she admitted. "…That someone on the outside should know the family secret. I thought it might endanger my son and the others even more. But now I apologize for feeling that way." She smiled, thankful. "I'm relieved…that it's you, Tohru-San. When the day comes for you to meet my son…please treat him kindly…as you have the young masters," she requested.

"Oh," Tohru's features lit up. "Of course!" she promised. _Monkey-San! Oh, I really want to meet him soon! _"Um," she said, "What is he like?"

There was sudden silence, except for the drips of fountains. Tohru's expression dropped, seeing the hostess look down. The hostess's eyes went wide and she snapped her head up to look over Tohru. "I'M SORRY!" she wailed, "FROM THE WORLD'S POINT OF VIEW HE'S LIKE THAT BUT HE'S VERY PECIOUS TO ME DEEP DOWN HE'S VERY KIND HE'S MY ONLY CHILD I WILL APOLOGIZE FOR HIM I WILL APOLOGIZE TO THE WORLD!! I'M SO SORRY!!"

"Sorry! I won't ask anymore!"

Tohru asked Momiji about the Okami's son later that night.

"That's right! Concubine-San is Rit-Chan's mutti! I forgot to tell you! Verziehung!" he apologized. _Ritchan-San…_Tohru thought. She heard Rit-Chan as one name, therefore Ritchan-San. "He lives "outside" like Shii-Chan, so I'm sure he'll come visit you there!" he continued, picking up a ping-pong paddle and walking towards Kyo and Yuki, already playing. "Hey! Anyway, Tohru, wanna play ping-pong?" he asked, looking over his shoulder with a smile. He looked back at the game already going on. "They won't play with me at all!" he complained.

Kyo smacked the ball as hard as he could, teeth clenched, very intense. It flew past Yuki, way off target. "Out," Yuki called. He cocked his head at Kyo and narrowed his eyes. "Don't I keep telling you to let it bounce?"

"Shut up!! Why shouldn't I hit it hard?!" Kyo demanded.

"Because that's the rule." Yuki tapped the ball and it came flying back at him. "Out."

"Again?!" Momiji said.

"This was definitely a bad idea," Yuki sighed.

"Kyo-Kun, good luck!!" Tohru called.

Kyo cried out, angry, pushing the side of the table up so it folded in half. "I can't play this game!!" he yelled, leaning across the folded ping-pong table, pointing his finger. "FISTS!! Men fight with their fists!!"

Yuki started to bring the table back into place. "_You _challenged _me _to ping-pong," he pointed out.

Tohru took a step forward with her paddle, smiling hopefully. "Uh, um, that is," she stammered, "W-w-well—Please! Please play with me!"

"Huh?!" Kyo immediately blurted out, surprised she'd want to play this kind of game.

"Yay! That should be fun! Do it! Do it!!" Momiji encouraged.

Kyo sighed. "I'm telling you now—I won't go easy on you just because you're a girl."

"Okay!"

Kyo picked up the ball. "Okay, here it comes…"

"Okay!!"

"Don't forget to let it bounce," added Yuki.

"Shut up!" Kyo said again. He took the ball, bounced it on the table once, and hit it across the table, no different than he did to Yuki. Tohru took a chance and went for it, but, unfortunately, it flew past her, and bounced away towards Momiji standing behind her. Momiji bent down and she looked behind her at the ball on the ground.

Tohru whirled around and looked frustrated at Kyo. "I missed!" she yelled.

"I can see that," Kyo said. "You really suck at this."

"Look who's talking, Kyo," Momiji retorted. Yuki stood in the back, expression unreadable.

"Hey!" Kyo shouted. "Oh, and I'm sure that you rock at this game, huh, damn kid?"

"Wenn schon, den schon!" Momiji whined back.

Tohru may have been the only one to notice, but she turned around as Yuki stepped out of the room and outside. She immediately followed, and peeked around the door to the garden to see Yuki standing by it. She stepped out and walked over. "Um…what's wrong?" she asked, uneasy. "Do you feel okay?" The quiet was interrupted by a light laughter.

It was Yuki, to Tohru's surprise.

"Funny," he laughed. "That was so funny…!" Tohru's eyes widened. Yuki…was laughing? At her? "Honda-San, you're…You make me laugh! Heh…you were so serious! So I, I just…" He put his hand over his mouth to muffle his growing laughter.

"I'm sorry," Tohru said, blushing. She broke a smile. "You could have laughed in front of me!"

He looked down, and moved his hand to his forehead. "Heh…no way. No laughing in front of Kyo. First of all…I haven't even laughed like this in front of my parents…" He turned. "That was hilarious…Oh, yeah," he continued to laugh.

Eventually, he calmed. He reached into his sleeve and pulled out the pouch he had been looking at earlier. He thought now was a good time. "This…is for you." He put it into her hands. "I wanted to give it to you sooner, but I couldn't get the timing right. It's my return gift." Tohru looked at it, shocked.

Tohru opened the package and pulled out a cute, yellow bow. She gasped, blushing madly, and clutched it to her chest with a bright smile. "Th—Thank you very much!!"

"I didn't know what to get you, but I thought that would be the most fitting," he said.

Tohru immediately undid her braid and put the bow in her now wavy brunette hair. She smiled, as did Yuki, liking the way it looked.

"Do you…" —he took a strand of the bow and ran it through his fingers— "…like it, Princess?"

She softly gasped and blushed at the way he addressed her but smiled and answered, "Uh, uh…Um, yes! Of course!! I-I-I'm so touched!!"

He pulled on the strand and the bow got smaller. "Then…" he leaned in, "…I'm greatly honored. Or something. Right?" He grinned.

_He really is like a Prince!_

Later that night, Momiji did end up joining her, but he quickly fell into a deep sleep and she looked up at the ceiling, fully awake, smiling. _Mom…There are so many Princes in the Sohma family. Handsome, cute…and kind Princes. I really am…very happy…to be able to spend time with them like this. Tonight's another night…that I must be thankful for. I am so grateful. _

sss

"Please…don't hesitate…to come back!" the Okami said, voice jagged. She rested her head on Kyo's shoulder.

Kyo pulled away. "Don't lean on me!" he grumbled.

"Please take care of yourself!" the hostess continued. "You too, Tohru-San. It was nice meeting you."

"Stop touching me!!" Kyo demanded.

Momiji looked around worriedly. "The bus is late…"

"Momiji-Kun? I won't see you anymore except at work, will I?" Tohru guessed, looking unhappy. Momiji looked over. "What school year will you be starting in the spring? Will you be starting middle school?"

"Nien!" Momiji falsified, smiling. "Starting this spring, it'll be my first year of _high school_! And…I get to go to the same school as Tohru. With Haru too! I'm fifteen!!" he added.

Tohru stood, rigid and frozen, unbelieving. No, he definitely had to be, what, eleven?

"What was that?!" Kyo raised his voice. "What are you and Haru doing sneaking into our school?!"

"We wanted to surprise you!" Momiji said. Tohru still stood, wide-eyed.

"You're kidding?! Never mind you," Kyo said, "but how did Haru, with that hair?!"

"What? It's his natural color. _Kyo's_ hair is orange," Momiji pointed out.

"Honda-San!" Yuki watched her shocked expression stay the same. "Honda-San!" She finally looked over. "You didn't know? Momiji is one year younger than we are. The same age as Haru."

But how? Haru was at least a foot taller, and Momiji acted and looked so much like a child. "HOW?!" Tohru exploded, throwing her hands up in the hair. "I-I thought for sure he was in elementary school! He'll be coming to our high school in the spring?! With Hatsuharu-San?! I don't know what to be most surprised about!!"

"Be surprised by a_ll_ of it!" Momiji sang.

At any rate, it looks like life in high school next year…will be very lively.

sss

"What do you think of my return gift?" Shigure asked Hatsuharu back at his house. Hatsuharu looked up from his book at the outfit hanging on the door that looked like a maid's uniform. "I can't wait for her to call me master wearing this…" he added.

Haru sighed and looked back to his book. "Just make sure you don't get arrested, okay?"

* * *

**A/N: I'm surprised Shigure hasn't been locked up at all in the past...Haha anyway! Reviews I would really love to recieve! I don't even care if you flame. **

**And there was someone who reviewed, sorry I can't remember the name, but they said that the chapters seemed different than the regular ones? Well...I just thought I'd let that person know that I'm using the same chapters...When a chapter ends in the manga, the chapter ends in this. I'm using the exact points where a chapter starts, and ends. So...If that's what you were wondering...or if you meant something else..................Idk. :P**

**Bis bald! :3  
**


	19. Chapter Nineteen

**A/N: Spring is my favorite season! But I don't like how winter is too cold and how summer is too hot...So sometimes I can just LOOVEEEE spring, like Tohru, or HATE the allergies, like Uo. :/ **

**And a small note for the story: Norika Fujuwara is a Japanese model and actress. I believe she was at sometime in the 90s Miss Japan.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.  
**

* * *

_Spring is here!! The heart-pounding, trembling with excitement new semester is here!! We're proud to be entering our second year!!_

"The new first years are so cute!!" Tohru said, clasping her hands together. She was in the near empty classroom with Kyo, Uotani, and Hanajima. "It would have been nice to see Kyo-Kun and Uo-Chan at orientation…"

"Too much effort," they both disagreed. Kyo didn't look up from his Mogeta book, and Uo didn't look up from the floor.

Uo sighed, muffled from the surgical mask covering her mouth, due to allergies. "And even if it wasn't, there's too much _pollen_ outside. If I had to sit out there, I'd go nuts."

"Just take a pill," Kyo said.

"Don't work. Maybe I took too many different drugs when I was younger," she told him in between wheezing and coughing.

Kyo looked up, unsure. "What does that mean, 'different drugs'?"

"Never mind," she said. "Where's Prince Charming?"

Tohru answered, "He's busy with the orientation management committee."

"Whoa, _that _must suck," said Uo. "I bet he's getting mobbed by the first years."

sss

"Um, Senpai?" A first-year girl came up to one of the older students running the orientation. "I lost my class schedule…"

"What?" He sighed and put his hand on the back of his head, absently looking around. "There's not much I can do about that."

"Really? But…" The girl blushed, embarrassed for messing up, and became worried.

"Do you remember where you had it last? Let's go look for it," another member said. It was Yuki. "Can you tell me your name and which class you're in?"

The entire group of first-year girls ran up, trying to push forward from the girl in front of them. "OF COURSE I CAN! SATOMI ARIMORI, AGE 15, SCORPIO, BLOOD TYPE B, MY HOBBY IS CRAFTS, AND MY BEST FEATURE IS MY SLENDER ANKLES!!"

"I-I-I'M RINO SONOMIYA. PEOPLE SAY I LOOK LIKE NORIKA FUJUWARA!"

"YOU DO NOT!! ME, I'M—"

"LOOK AT ME! LOOK AT ME!!"

The other student running the orientation with Yuki stood beside him. "I'm too freaked out to be jealous, Sohma."

sss

"Prince Charming might even make class President this year," Uo said. "Our current leader has _issues_."

Tohru just laughed and nodded. _I don't think Yuki-Kun would want that…_she mentally disagreed.

"Tohru-Kun," Hana started, "I earlier picked up some waves that seemed to be coming from your guardian, Shigure-San…"

"Ah! Yes, he was here. Actually, there are some new Sohmas starting here, so…" Tohru explained a flashback from the night before.

_"…I just have to go by the school and behold their magnificence," he said. Shigure and the rest of the group sat at the table eating dinner. "Haa-Kun and Momitchi are like little brothers to me…" Everyone was silent, trying to make up their mind whether or not to believe that was the real reason. "I wonder what those stern, suspicious visages could possibly portend? You don't think I'm going just to look at _high school girls_, do you?" _

_It had been silent again. "No, no, no!" Shigure said wrong. "Young people these days have no sense of _romanticism_!"_

"He's an idiot," commented Hanajima.

"Wait a second!" Uo pulled down her mask and looked at Tohru, unbelieving. "There are _more _Sohmas here?! What are they like? Male or female?" she interrogated. She put her mask back on.

"They're both boys," Tohru said. "One of them was at the culture fest."

Uo and Hana both looked to Kyo at the same time, who nervously looked up from his book. "Go get them and bring them here, Kyon."

"Yes, _fetch_," Hana said.

"You—! Why me?!" he demanded. "Why don't you make _her_ do it?!" He motioned to Tohru. "She's going to say hi to them anyway, aren't you?!"

"Yes!" she smiled, "I was just going!"

Hanajima placed a hand on Kyo's shoulder. He flinched. "Why would we send Tohru to do such a difficult task…?"

"But it's okay to send me to do it?! Stay away from me!"

"Yup," Uo said.

"Uh—um, it's all right," Tohru stammered, "I really am going to say hello to them…But since this is a special occasion, why don't you come with me, Kyo-Kun?" she suggested.

"Look, you—! I don't even want to see them at _home, _much less at _school_!"

"It might be different seeing them at school!" Tohru held up a finger. She put a hand on his desk and leaned on that arm. "It might be fun!" She smiled. It was not something you could refuse from her.

Kyo stood up and walked to the door. Tohru followed and called out to her best friends, "We're off!"

When their footsteps weren't heard anymore, Uo realized, "It's getting harder and harder for him to say 'no' to Tohru."

"Very interesting…" Hana replied.

sss

Kyo and Tohru stopped once they were in the first-years area. "Okay, now what class are they in?" he sighed impatiently.

Tohru turned around slowly with a nervous smile and said nothing.

"Were you planning on searching the whole school?!"

"Sorry! I'm sorry!"

"Alright, give me a second," he sighed again, walking over to two first-year girls who immediately looked up once he approached them. "Hey, have you seen a couple of guys, last name Sohma? One's blonde and the other one has white hair."

"Y-Yes…they're in our class," one said, blushing as the other did.

"Go get 'em for me."

"Yes sir!" they both replied. Kyo turned around and stepped away to wait for them. Before the girls ran off, they swooned, almost fainting over Kyo. They ran into their classroom.

Kyo stood in the middle of the hallway, waiting. _She could have at least asked what class they were in. Why is she such a ditz?_

"Hey, hey, check it out," one guy said to another. Kyo was standing nearby, so he listened in. "She's cute, huh?" He nodded across the hall. The other looked over. Straight at the girl the other spotted. Tohru.

"Yeah, she's cute," he agreed, "but…she doesn't look very bright."

"You idiot. Dumb girls are the best kind." Kyo looked from them to Tohru. She just stood there, completely oblivious to everything. Stuck there with her usual expression; smiling, not really having a sense of anything in the moment. "They don't put up any _resistance_, you know?" he continued. "It's annoying when girls get all assertive, don't you think?"

"I guess so. She does look like she'll buy anything," the other considered.

"Maybe I should go talk to he—"

Before any of them knew it, even Tohru didn't have a clue it was coming, Kyo stood in front of her, slightly blocking her from the other two guys. He put his arm over her and his fist on the wall above her head, protective. Tohru jumped in surprise and looked up. Kyo looked up and straight at the two guys. He looked threatening. The two guys stood rigid, stunned, and immediately backed off. Literally, they backed off, leaving right then.

Kyo kept watching them, until they were completely gone, right into the back of their heads. Then he took his fist down from the wall, loosened it, and smacked Tohru in the back of the head. "Hey, just don't stand there like a doofus. Doofus."

"Ow! O-Okay!"

"At least try to look sharp when you're by yourself. If you space out like that, you'll get yourself kidnapped or something!"

"O-Okay!!" She looked straight forward, stood straight up, and looked intensely in front of her, trying her best to look 'sharp'.

Kyo looked over, not impressed, realizing he didn't get his point clear enough. "I said when you're by _yourself_. As long as I'm around, you can act as dumb as you want. Okay…?"

"Okay!" She let out a big sigh and went back to her regular 'doofus' expression.

Kyo looked over, become way too annoyed than he wanted to be. "I—I didn't mean anything weird by that, alright?!" _It's not like I want you to act like a doofus!_

She looked up. "W—weird? How…?"

"I mean…" He became visibly completely clueless. His face heated up and he quickly turned away from her. "What am I saying? Have I lost my mind?" he mumbled to himself.

"Hallo!!" They heard a familiar child-like voice.

Tohru turned to the voice. "Oh? Momiji-Kun?!" She smiled. Kyo cautiously looked over the way she was. He instantly regretted it.

Momiji ran up, wearing the school uniform. No, not the boys uniform, but the _girls_ uniform. The same one Tohru wore, except substituting the short blue skirt for short blue shorts. He wore his usual blue unique hat that sat on the back of his head. "Tohru!!"

Tohru smiled. "Momiji-ku—"

"Are you retarded?!" Kyo knocked Momiji to the ground.

"Kyo—Kyo-Kun, calm down…!" Tohru had seen Momiji at orientation, so the uniform was no surprise to her right now.

Hatsuharu followed. He wore the black and white uniform he was supposed to wear, except for the tie, he left the collar open like Kyo did, showing off all of his necklaces. "'Sup…"

"Ah! Hatsuharu-San!"

"Why the hell are you wearing the girls uniform?!" Kyo continued. "How stupid can you get?! It's disgusting!! You're worse than Haru and he's downright _lewd_!!" Momiji stood with Tohru, tears running down his face, whimpering.

"Oh, c'mon," Haru said, "It looks good on him."

"It does doesn't it?" Momiji smiled.

"Yes, it looks really good!" Tohru agreed.

"Just because it looks good doesn't mean it's not wrong…I'm gonna be sick," Kyo added quietly. His eye was now twitching.

Haru's attention went behind the others, to Yuki, who was now walking over. "Oh…"

"Really…" Yuki said, "What _are _you wearing, Momiji…?" Haru spread his arms wide open and pranced to Yuki to tug on his shirt. "You too," Yuki responded, almost irritable, but collected.

"Yuki-Kun, are you off duty?" Tohru asked.

"No, not yet…" he sighed. "I stopped by to see you on my way to take care of some things," he explained.

"Must be hard!" Momiji conjectured.

"If you think so, why not stop making my life more difficult?" he suggested.

Tohru giggled. "Momiji-Kun, Hatsuharu-San, what do you think of our school so far?"

Haru looked over, as usual, no expressional aspect. "Hm…"

"Listen, listen!" Momiji interjected. "I was told to 'take it easy' at school! They said I might bump into a girl if I didn't settle down!" Momiji was definitely hyper almost all the time. "So at school, I'm taking it c_ool_!" He smiled and held a finger in the air.

"Playing it cool?" Kyo repeated. "Dressed like that?!"

"That's right, Kyo Sohma-Kun, second year class D!!" Everyone turned to a new participant in the conversation, coming down the hallway with two others. "That orange hair of yours bothers me, but a boy wearing a girl's uniform is the absolute most _shameless_ thing I've ever seen!! The teachers may turn a blind eye, but I will not!! Because—!!" —he dramatically shot a fist into the air— "I am your student body president, Mokoto Takei!!" His two other assistants, two other third year girls, clapped for him. "Also known as the leader of the _School Defense Force_!!"

Haru crossed his arms. "Who paged the idiot brigade?"

"The first day of school, and already all I see are problems!!" President Takei continued. "_You_, Hatsuharu Sohma-Kun! Your hair is white!" Haru blinked in surprise. "And your excessive accessorizing is _indecent_!!" he criticized, seeing his three ear piercings and multiple necklaces, bracelets, and rings.

"Mr. President," Yuki interrupted, "that's his natural hair color."

"Yuki-Kun!!" Mokoto exclaimed. "You're looking lovely! That aside, you still say that's his natural color…when his _roots are black_?!"

"That's just how it is," Yuki attempted to explain.

"I don't believe it!! It defies all logic!!" he said.

_Moron_, Haru thought.

Tohru didn't know how they could get President Takei to understand. _I guess we can't say it's because Haru is the ox…_

"What about your uniform?!" Mokoto turned to Momiji. "Are you telling me _that's_ natural, too, Momiji Sohma-Kun?!" Momiji's eyes grew wide. "Don't you have any _manly pride_?! Right now you're traveling full-speed down the road to _failure_!!" Haru narrowed his eyes.

Momiji looked down pathetically and sniffled, tears coming to his eyes. "But…this one looks better on me…" he said, with a small voice.

Tohru looked at him with sad eyes and immediately stood between him and President Takei. "Uh…hi…um, please don't be so hard on hi—"

"I am not being _hard_ on him, Tohru Honda-Kun! I am merely taking the side of _decency_ and _common sense_!!"

"Shut the hell up." President Takei's jaw fell as he turned back to Hatsuharu, who was getting fiery. "You're really pissing me off. Quit acting like your king of the mountain…you arrogant son of a bitch." Haru's eyes flashed as he moved closer, Mokoto staggering back.

Kyo's jaw had fallen open as well. "Haru…" he cautioned.

"Wha—What?!" Mokoto gasped, now nearly shaking.

"Let me ask you this," Haru continued. He continued to advance as Mokoto retreated. "If I wear a three piece suit, does it mean I won't resort to blackmail? If I don't pierce my ears, does it mean I won't break someone's heart? If my hair is black and shiny does it mean I won't kill you?!" Haru's voice rose. He reached out and grabbed his enemy's collar. That was when everyone knew he'd gone completely to his black side. "Who the hell do you think you are?! You think you're _God_?! Well?! Do you?!" He shook him, vigorously. "That's incredible! Say something, God!! MAKE A SOUND!!"

"President!" both assistants cried out.

"Enough!" Kyo shouted. "Cut it out! You can't fight an amateur!"

"Stay out of this, you stupid cat!!" Haru bellowed back.

"Don't call me stupid!" Kyo yelled. "I'm going to smack you, you damn punk!!"

Haru let go of Mokoto and turned around to face Kyo. "Oh yeah?! You ran away from our last fight with your tail between your legs!!"

"You're the one who just decided it was over!!" Kyo stood over him by mere inches.

"Why you…Are you on _his_ side?!" Haru demanded. "Are you saying he's right?!"

"NO!! You're both crazy, stupid!!"

Meanwhile President Takei's assistants were trying to calm him down. "President, snap out of it!"

Yuki crossed his arms and Momiji turned to a shocked Tohru. "Tohru, do you want a lollipop?" Momiji asked cheerily. She didn't respond.

"Hey there," Haru, who had made his way back to the President, said to one of the assistants. She gasped and looked up.

"Leave her out of it!" Kyo commanded.

"What do you think?" he asked her. "Momiji, for example. Don't you think he looks good like that? He'll get bigger soon. Wouldn't it be better for him to start wearing the boy's uniform then? He'll look very handsome. Can you imagine it?"

Both assistants considered it. The image in their mind was the same Momiji, but taller, dazzling to them. "Oh my…" they whispered.

"Don't let him brainwash you!!" President Takei exploded, coming back to reality. "Wha-wha-what's with this?! This is nonsense!!"

"People should wear what suits them," Hatsuharu said, simply.

"How can you say that?! It's selfishness!!"

Haru _tsk'd_ at him. "Really? What if…_Yuki_ wore the _girl's_ uniform?"

Mokoto could see it clearly. The nice top…the short skirt… "Oh my," he muttered.

"CUT IT OUT!!" Yuki blared. He was seriously angry now. He turned to Haru. "Haru…if you don't stop now, I'll disown you forever…"

"Relax! I was just making a point. Don't be mad," he murmured.

"The mind reels…" Mokoto whispered.

"Quit thinking about it!" Yuki spun back around to President Takei.

Mokoto gasped, realizing he's gone way off subject. He adjusted his glasses. "Er, sorry. Where were we…? You're a tough nut to crack, Hatsuharu Sohma-Kun." President Takei returned to his high vocal volume. "But with regard to your hair—can you _prove_ that's your natural hair color?!"

"I can."

"OHO?! An how exactly would you prove it?! I demand legitimate evidence!!"

Hatsuharu, for the second time, grabbed Takei's shirt collar. Everyone watched quietly as he dragged him to the bathrooms. "Er…wait…um…" the President tried to change his mind. The door to the boys' restroom shut.

Thirty seconds or a minute passed.

Mokoto burst through the door without a word. Haru quietly followed, smirking. "The evidence is irrefutable," Mokoto said, voice shaking, disturbed. "The world is filled with things I have yet to comprehend…" Haru laughed once.

_He didn't…_Yuki and Kyo both thought. _He did…_

"For today I have lost…" President Takei backed away. "BUT! Next time it won't be so easy…I will have my revenge on all of you!!" He left with his assistants.

Momiji took his lollipop out of his mouth. "Are they done talking now? What did he come here for anyway?" Yuki made a noise of disgust.

"Um…" Tohru started, "I don't understand…What did you do in the restroom to prove that's your natural color?" she wondered, innocently clueless.

"Hm? Do you r_eally _want to know?" Haru said. He held her face. "Why don't we just cut to the chase and _do it_." Yuki and Kyo glared knives into his face. "What? We can do it without actually embrac—"

Hatsuharu was immediately pummeled to the floor by Yuki and Kyo, knocking him out. "Black…" Kyo started to say, walking away. "I can't handle it when he turns black…" Yuki followed in walking away.

"Uh…um…"

"It's over now, Honda-San, don't let it worry you," Yuki said.

Haru woke up and sat up. "I'm kinda tired…" he said, rubbing his now aching head.

Kyo slumped. "Oh, really? You're tired…?"

Just then the bell rang. "That's the bell!" Momiji cheered. "We have to get back to our classes!"

"Ah! Is it okay if I introduce you to my friends on the way home?!" Tohru asked.

"Tohru's friends?! Of course it is!!" Momiji immediately accepted. Haru was considering. "Thank you so much!!"

Yuki and Kyo continued to think similarly. _It's not too late for them to transfer to another school…_

"Oh, yeah!" Momiji suddenly recalled something. "Hey, Yuki! Kyo!" he called. "I want to talk to you. Could you stay here?"

"Hm?" Yuki looked over.

"Well, I'd better get back to class." Tohru smiled, not minding.

"I'm sorry Tohru," Momiji felt bad for making Yuki and Kyo stay.

"It's okay!" She said goodbye and started to her class.

"What do you want? If it's stupid, I'll punch you," Kyo warned his younger cousin.

sss

"Well, that was quite a commotion!" Tohru said to herself, stepping outside to get to her next class. She continued to smile. _I can't wait to introduce them to Uo-Chan and Hana-Chan. But if every day is like this…Yuki-Kun and Kyo-Kun might wear out._

"You look like you're enjoying yourself." Tohru turned her head.

sss

Everyone stood quietly as Momiji delivered the news. "He said he's coming here." Eyes widened. "Akito."

Who Tohru just happened to be face to face with at that moment in the courtyard.

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**A/N: Okay! So...the next chapter coming up is pretty short...And it's basically a continuation. Man...if I met someone like Akito...I'd...be scared... o.o **

**_AAH -_ Haha good point! And he's too just plain AWESOME! :3 And thanks for telling me there are page breaks because I thought they disappeared. I wasn't sure if it would make clear sense without them. :)  
**


	20. Chapter Twenty

**A/N: Okay, sorry I haven't updated in a while! And this is one of the short chapters...But it's the part where Akito comes into the story for a little longer than so far! _NicholeRose_...this is what you've been waiting for...or so you've said, I hope you still read. ^_^ Haha -----Okay here's a trimmed up version of the end of the last chapter, in case you've forgotten----- Previously on Fruits Basket:**

_**"Oh, yeah!" Momiji suddenly recalled something. "Hey, Yuki! Kyo!" he called. "I want to talk to you. Could you stay here?"**_

_**"Hm?" Yuki looked over.**_

_**"What do you want? If it's stupid, I'll punch you," Kyo warned his younger cousin.**_

_**sss**_

_**  
**__**"He said he's coming here." Eyes widened. "Akito."**_

**Here's chapter twenty!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the brilliance known as Fruits Basket. :)  
**

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_There was something I wanted…something I pictured while in that dark room…_

"We didn't know either," Momiji continued. "Right before you got here…at orientation. Sensei told us," he said, referring to Shigure.

"Akito…he suddenly announced that he was coming, too," Haru said.

sss

Tohru didn't know who he was. She didn't fully recognize him that moment. He took a step closer to her and she froze.

sss

"So, just be on the lookout for him," Haru continued, putting his hands in his pockets.

"We thought we'd better warn you," said Momiji to Yuki. "You know…just in case…you don't want to see him."

Yuki turned and pushed his way to an empty space at the end of that hallway. He made his way through the laughing students. The normal ones.

sss

He was dressed in all black, matching his hair color. "Ah…" Tohru muttered, "Aki…to…San…?" She slightly recalled seeing him at the main estate when she visited Hatori, leaning out the window. Watching her.

"That's right," he said, in an eerily soft yet firm voice. A macabre voice. "Tohru Honda-San."

Right then she became so nervous; she started shaking and immediately bowed to him, the head of the Sohma family. "Pl—Please to meet you!!" _It's the real Akito-San!! Wh—Why is Akito-San at my school?! Is it all right for me to run into him like this?! I'm surprised he's so young…and he's just as handsome as Yuki-kun!! _She looked at the ground, now thoughtful. _So…this is the man…who hurt Hatori-San's—_

"My…" Akito continued, "What a lovely young woman you are…and you do seem kind. I'm pleased to meet you. Such a _terribly _cute girl!" He had a kind smile and he bowed in return.

"Huh?" Tohru squeaked. "No! I'm—um—"

Akito laughed. "Relax, I know who you are. But really—you are cute! I apologize for not greeting you properly when you were at the main house," he said, "I'm afraid I'm quite shy…Can you forgive me?"

"O-oh!! Of course!!"

"Thank goodness…Well, let's start again, shall we?" he suggested, still smiling politely to her. "I am Akito, head of the Sohma family. It's nice to meet you."

"Yes!! It's nice to meet you, too!" Tohru said. _For some reason, I didn't expect him to be so…gentle. _

"I would like us to become friends," Akito said, smile strangely transforming itself into a smirk. "Please take good care…of Yuki and the others," he requested.

She just smiled slightly. _Huh?_

"Akito…" Akito and Tohru, alerted, turned to see Yuki approaching them, a frightened look on his face.

"Ah…Yuki!" Akito greeted. "I've missed you, Yuki!" He walked towards him with open arms.

Yuki didn't move, but his eyes widened and he couldn't comprehend. _What?_

"I feel as though we haven't seen each other in _ages_," Akito continued to say.

"What were you doing?" Yuki asked, suddenly getting the feeling that he did something wrong.

"You're so grown up," Akito said, "You've even gotten taller…"

"What did you do to Honda-San?!" Yuki demanded to know.

Akito hesitated. "Nothing. I was just saying hello." He looked over his shoulder to Tohru. "Isn't that right Tohru-San? I was just saying hello, wasn't I?"

"Uh…Oh! Yes!"

"Now," Akito said, turning his attention back to Yuki, "if you're through being distrusting…there's something I need to ask you." He leaned in and lowered his voice. "Why did you…skip out on New Year's? Why would you _do_ something like that? It hurts me deeply when you do things like that…and after I've been so _lenient _lately. I may have no choice other than to teach you another _lesson_." Yuki recalled memories, still as frightened as when he first heard Akito was here, but somehow more. "I may have no choice but to put you in that _special_ room just for _you_…for a day…to remind you who you really _are._"

A cage as a room itself. Black paint. Stuck in the corner all alone. The crack of whips. These were Yuki's memories from Akito's words. Yuki tried to pull away. When Tohru saw the scared look in his eyes, she couldn't take it. She ran up and pushed Akito away from him.

Regret suddenly crept up on her, and she took her hands off, shaking. "I…" she choked. "I'm sorry, we…we have to hurry back…to class…that is…" She looked up at him, and brought her hands back to herself. "…or we'll get in trouble." It was silent a moment.

"…I see," Akito muttered. "I'm sorry. I have to get back to Shigure and the others…lest they worry. Yuki. I hope you enjoy your school life…and I would be pleased…if you come to see me soon." He started to walk off school grounds.

Akito turned back to look at the window where Kyo had been standing, watching. He smirked at him. Kyo glared back, eyes completely absorbed by hatred.

Tohru held up her shaking hands in front of her. _I…I can't believe I interfered like that. I was out of line…I couldn't hear what they were talking about…but Yuki-Kun seemed so _frightened_! Even though he sounded…gentle…His eyes…His eyes weren't smiling at all. That must be what they call "animosity". Perhaps he hated me even before I…but…_

Yuki held up his hands and just looked at them. "Honda-san…"

"Yes?"

"Really…Did Akito say anything…Anything strange to you?" He tightly crossed his arms.

"N-No, he didn't. He really was just saying hello…" she confirmed once again. "Really."

He smiled. It was hard for Tohru to smile back. _The thing I want to understand the most…is why Akito-San would hate me!_

She found the smile, and it was a bright one. "Yuki-Kun!! Let's do something fun!!"

"Eh?" He raised his eyebrows.

"School gets out early today…so Uo-Chan, Hana-Chan and I decided to have some fun! It's a special occasion, so let's all do something together!!"

_I want the fear of Akito in Yuki-Kun's heart…to clear away._

Right after school let out, Haru, Momiji, Yuki, and Kyo joined Tohru and her friends. They decided on badminton, and chose teams. "Rock or paper," Uotani said, "…choose…now!"

Everyone chose either rock or paper and showed it. They all stood in a circle, except Kyo who sat a distance away, holding up 'rock', as Haru and Hanajima did. So they were a team. This left Tohru, Yuki, Uotani, and Momiji to be a team.

"Why do _I_ have to play? I _hate_ badminton," Kyo complained.

Uo turned. "What are _you_ complaining about?! I have to wear a _mask_! I can barely breathe!"

"Don't play then!!" he yelled back to her.

"Well? What do we do after we decide the teams?" Yuki asked. "What are the rules?"

"Rules? There aren't any," Uo told him.

"What?"

Hanajima held up her racket. "You don't need rules for badminton. You hit it as hard as you can, back and forth. Matches are sudden-death."

"I like that," said Haru. "It's easy to follow."

"It's _too_ easy to follow!" Kyo protested.

"Oh, shut up, already," Uo groaned. "Just go over to your team's camp."

"Our _camp_?" Yuki asked.

"Yay, camp!" Tohru said.

"First game is practice," Uo decided. "Okay! Let's go, Prince Charming, we're gonna destroy Orangey over there."

"What was that, Yankee?!" Kyo called from the other side.

"Oh…okay…" Yuki said slowly, walking over to join the team.

"Let's play!" Tohru smiled.

"Ready…" Uo served the birdie.

sss

"In the car…on the way back…he called Tohru-Kun 'ugly'," Shigure told Hatori, lighting a cigarette as they sat on his porch.

_"She's really_ ugly_ isn't she? The ugliest…and none too bright. I guess I can relax." Akito smirked. "Yuki will come back to me…He's still _afraid_ of me. That proves he can't forget me."_

"If you lock someone up…in a dark room…for a long, long time…and mentally torture them…" Shigure continued.

_"Let me out!"_

_"Let me out of here!"_

"…It leaves indelible scars."

"But, Akito doesn't understand," Hatori said. He took out a cigarette. "If someone can cause those scars…there is sure to be someone…who can heal them," he reasoned.

"That fact gives me more than a little courage." Shigure smiled. "And about what he said—Tohru-kun is cute. She's _adorable_," Shigure said.

"Coming from you, that sounds criminal."

sss

_There was something I wanted…something I envisioned, _realized Yuki. _Loving parents…a happy home…with everyone smiling at me. A home that no one would ever want to leave. A warm place. A warm person. It exists. I know it does._

"It's getting dark," Uo realized as everyone else did, before they knew it. "Time flies when you're having fun. Well, see you tomorrow, Tohru-Kun…"

Everyone was exhausted, panting and wheezing, waiting for the wind to start up again and cool them off, except Hanajima, who was perfectly fine, but one of the best players. "Wh…Why is _wave girl_…the only one…who's not _dying_?!" Kyo said in between pants.

"I guess we'll be going, too," Haru said, tapping Momiji on the head, who was fanning himself with his hat. "Our ride home is sick of waiting."

"Y-you're…going home…?" Tohru panted.

"Honda-San," Haru said.

"Yes?"

"I was worried…but it looks like he's okay. Yuki, I mean." Yuki looked dizzy and the most exhausted of everyone, sitting in the cool grass. He smiled slightly at her. "Thank you."

_Mom…today I met the head of the Sohma family. He's a very difficult person to describe. I wonder if he's also a member of the Chinese zodiac? To be honest, he scared me a little._

Yuki soon recovered and smiled. "Well, should we head home, too?"

"Yes!" They picked up their book bags and started home. "What would you like for dinner?"

"Liver and leeks," Yuki said.

"Hey!!"

_But…when we're together, my fears…suddenly fly to the other side of the stars._

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**A/N: Thanks so much for reading! Reviews are also appreciated. :3**


	21. Chapter TwentyOne

**A/N: Oh noes!! We're getting close to the end of this first story...and I haven't even come to chapter three in the next story D: Ugh I'm such a slacker!! I really need to work on that :( Well, for now, enjoy chapter twenty one. :) **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.**

* * *

"What can we pick in May?" Tohru asked. She was outside in with Yuki in the garden, kneeling down to tend it.

"Hm…well, carrots, turnips…leeks," he said. They laughed at that. "…and strawberries." He smiled.

"Yay! Finally! I can't wait!" She'd almost forgotten about the strawberries they planted before she'd almost had to leave them.

"Yeah…I can't wait either," he agreed. Tohru sneezed. "Are you okay?"

"Yes! It's April, but it's so cold today…"

She must be freezing then. "Honda-San, you go ahead and go home," Yuki decided. "We're pretty much done here."

"Oh?! But—"

"Besides, I'm hungry," he said, just as his stomach rumbled. Tohru laughed.

"Then I'll go home and start dinner," she told him. That night's dinner she planned to start early, but she had to make lunch, too. Tohru slipped off her gardening gloves and started to walk back down the path to the house. _Several days have passed since I've met Akito-San…but Yuki-Kun has remained cheerful. And that's a very good thing. _She smiled. "I can't wait to pick the strawberries!" _Now, what should I make for…lunch…?_

Her thinking slowed as she saw a pile of clothes in the path. She bent down and picked up a very long, red, traditional women's robe. _Clothes on the ground…why would someone leave clothes?_ It took her a moment to realize a possibility. "Could it be a member of the Chinese zodiac?!"

Something then went quickly up her leg and up her clothes. Tohru fell to her knees and screamed at the top of her lungs, completely panicked. Yuki dropped everything and ran to her; thankfully she wasn't far down the path. He came to find her shaking, violently. "Honda-San?!"

"Some—S-s-s-"

"Strawberries?"

"Something's in my clothes!" she vociferated.

Yuki was seriously alarmed, now. "Huh?!" A snake's head revealed itself, coming out of the top back of Tohru's shirt.

sss

"Damn, I'm hungry." Kyo paced the kitchen.

Shigure glanced up from his newspaper. "Tohru-Kun should be home soon."

"It's fine," Kyo sighed. "I'll make something myself."

Refolding and setting down his newspaper then grabbing a bowl of leeks, onion, and miso, Shigure rose and held out the bowl. "Here, Kyo-Kun…have some of this. It will hold you over until dinner." Kyo smacked the bowl away and it flipped upside down, causing all of its contents to fall out and onto the floor.

"Dammit, quit making fun of me!!" Kyo yelled. Shigure snatched his hand back.

"Oh my! You mustn't mistreat food like that, Kyo-Chan!!" Shigure condemned. The front door slammed and angry, stomping steps came into the room. Shigure brightened. "At last! It looks like they're ba—"

"SKIN HIM," Yuki demanded. He held out an off-white colored snake to Shigure by its neck. "NOW. BARBECUE THE BASTARD!!"

"Huh?" Shigure leaned in to further examine the reptile. "Aaya…?"

"Eh…!" Kyo recognized him too, unfortunately for him.

"Well if it isn't Aaya!" Shigure said cheerily, "What's going on here?"

Tohru walked into the room carrying the clothes she'd found. "Uh…um…"

Yuki tightened his hand around the snake and said, "SKIN HIM…RIGHT…NOW." His eyes gleamed, angry.

"Wait a minute," Shigure's voice shook, "Let's calm down, Yuki-Kun."

Shigure eventually got Yuki to give him the snake and they put it in the other room with the clothes, letting him rest, and waiting for him to transform back. "Ayame Sohma, as you can see, is the snake," Shigure explained to Tohru.

"Oh…"

"Snakes hibernate in the winter…that may be why Aaya can't handle the cold. Sometimes," Shigure continued, "when it's as cold as it is today, he just _transforms_ like that."

"Winter must be terrible," Tohru assumed.

"It _is _terrible," Shigure said. "Hatori, Aaya and myself are all roughly the same age, so we went through elementary, middle, and high school together. The three of us make up the one and only Madubachi Trio." He smiled.

Tohru gasped. "Really?! That's so cool!!"

_What the hell does he mean 'the one and only Madubachi Trio…?_ Kyo glared.

Yuki sighed annoyed with Shigure's stories and such. _I can see why Hatori must have had a hard time…_

"Well?" Shigure asked. "What were you so upset about, Yuki-Kun?"

"…It's so disgusting I don't even want to say."

"Oh, come now, it couldn't be that bad," Shigure said. Tohru laughed, nervous, and failed to try and explain in a less negative way. "You're talking about your older brother," he said to Yuki.

It was silent. Said Tohru, "Eh?" There was a loud noise and smoke spilled through the crack under the bottom of the door. _EH?! B-b-brother?!_

"Please, allow me to explain myself," said Ayame's uncanny voice from behind the door. "My body was extremely cold earlier…I was merely looking for _warmth_. When I sensed someone with warm skin approaching…Can you blame me if my survival instincts take over?" The door opened to expose a tall man with long, nearly white, silver hair past his waist. "Greetings, everyone!" Tohru blinked repeatedly. He looked, to her, like an adult version of Yuki. "Have you been well…little brother?" he asked, turning his golden-green eyes to Yuki.

"What do you mean, 'survival instincts'?!" Yuki demanded, yelling into his brother's face as Ayame put on his red, long, coat looking robe that Tohru had first found. It looked strangely like women's clothing. "You should be glad I haven't taken you to the _police_!!"

Kyo sat down next to Tohru. "What? What did he do to you?" he asked.

Tohru's braids whipped the air, she turned so fast. "Er—Uh, um…"

"Oh my!" Ayame looked to Kyo, surprised. "Kyonkichi really is here!"

"I TOLD YOU TO STOP CALLING ME THAT!!" Kyo shouted. He _truly _hated Ayame's nickname for him.

"Well, Kyonkichi aside—"

"STOP IT!!"

"I haven't seen you since New Year's," Ayame smiled, giving Shigure a small wave.

"Long time no see," Shigure replied.

Ayame smirked. "You didn't cheat on me while we were apart, _did _you, Gure-San?"

"Why would I do something like that…Aaya?" Shigure also smirked, slightly.

They both gave each other thumbs up and cheered, "All right!"

_What's all right?! _Yuki and Kyo have always wondered. It disturbed them anyways when Ayame and Shigure pretended like they were gay lovers. It was sickening to Yuki how his cousin and his brother would joke about that. Kyo, as Yuki only sometimes did, found it amusing. Tohru didn't _exactly_ get it, but she didn't focus on that. _Um…well…at least his _personality_ is different from Yuki-Kun's…_

"Anyway," Shigure continued, "This is Tohru Honda-San. You came to see her, right?" Tohru, hearing her name, immediately gave her attention.

"Yes! Of course!" Ayame said, walking over. He bowed politely. "Please excuse my behavior earlier. I am Yuki's own older brother, Ayame."

"Y—Yes! Nice to meet you!" Tohru returned.

"Well, well. You must be…the _Princess_," he guessed.

Kyo and Tohru gave him the same look and response. "Huh?"

Ayame put his hands on his hips and smiled. "The single flower that blooms in a house of filthy men. The captive Princess!"

"She's _hardly_ captive," Shigure disagreed, grinning.

"Nii-San!" Yuki snapped, "…would you stop making fun of her?" he attempted to say this calmly.

"How rude!" Ayame exclaimed. "I'm giving her _respect_! Now—Would her highness make me some tea?" He rapped the table with his palm. "And hurry up and honor me with lunch!"

"That's not respect!" Yuki flared.

"Aaya…You're treating her like a maid," Shigure informed him.

"Am I? Very well…take your time honoring me with lunch."

"THAT'S NOT WHAT HE MEANT!" Kyo lashed out. Yuki gave up.

"What?" Ayame asked. He sighed. "You're so picky. Okay. Tohru-Kun?"

"Yes?"

Ayame snatched her hand and took her to the door. "Let's go out to eat!!"

"Oh?! Um, um, but—"

"No need to worry—It's _my treat_!!" Ayame proceeded to laugh shrilly as they left. It was the kind of laugh where you could distinguish the word 'ha' with each laugh, and not in a good way. He slammed the door behind them.

Yuki and Kyo instantly turned to Shigure and glared, as Shigure reasoned, "It's no use getting mad at _me_."

sss

"Now…" Ayame started, sitting down at the bar with a nervous Tohru, "you may order whatever you like. _I _will be having _gyouza_." He took his long hair and started to twist it together into a messy braid. Tohru put her hands in her lap. She heard people behind the bar asking if someone was a woman, and they were looking at Ayame and her. "There's no need to worry about Yuki-Kun and the others," he continued, "They're not children. They can feed themselves."

"B—But…I shouldn't impose…" Tohru stammered.

Ayame leaned over and held up a hand to her cheek. "Are you saying you'll refuse food I buy for you…?"

"N—No! That's not what I meant at all!" she blurted out, her face starting to get hot.

"Excellent. Waiter!" Aaya called. "We'd like two orders of gyouza!" he said, deciding for Tohru.

_This is all happening so fast!_ Tohru thought. She tried to act normal. "Yuki-Kun never mentioned having a brother…or that his brother was one of the zodia—" She gasped. "Do Kyo-Kun and Shigure-San have siblings, too?!"

"No, they're 'only child's," Ayame told her. "But it's not surprising that Yuki didn't say anything…as you've seen, we don't get along. It might be more accurate to say we're not close." He stopped twisting his hair, which he'd been doing absently, and picked up his drink to take a sip. "We're ten years apart…and soon after Yuki was born, he was isolated because of his illness."

Folding her hands, Tohru kept listening, curious. But one word stuck to her mind. _Isolated?_

"I grew up doing whatever I wanted," Ayame continued, becoming more serious than Tohru thought he was capable of, considering his first impression. "It was so bad; I only remembered in passing that I even _had _a brother. "And by the time I came around, there was a deep and imposing rift between us." He paused. "Now you know," he muttered. Tohru said nothing, and so Aaya continued. "Yuki…I hear he saw Akito at school. You met him, too, didn't you?" She gave a small nod in response. "How should I put this…?" he pondered. "I can't really explain it, but…Akito is an object of _terror_ for Yuki. It's much worse for him than the other members of the zodiac. I thought he'd been depressed recently…so I came to see you…or rather _check_ on Yuki," he explained.

"But I found him so cheerful," he smiled slightly. "To be honest, I was disappointed. I thought I might have a chance to be more of a big brother to him."

It was silent for a moment. "Do you…regret it?" Tohru asked, in a sad, quiet voice, fitting the tone of the conversation. _That you…weren't always there?_

Ayame lightly rested his head on a few of his fingertips. "Strangely enough, when you get older…the things you didn't understand when you were a child…start to make sense. 'When _this_ happened, I should have done _that_.' 'When _that_ happened, I should have said _this_.'" he demonstrated. "Those types of things," he said. "You start to _understand_ rather than _regret_. It may be closer to repentance. So it may be that I do want to repent…and erase the ignorant self from my childhood." He took his hand down and entwined those fingers with his others. "Maybe that's what they mean…when they say…adults are selfish."

Tohru looked down; sad, thinking. "But…" she said slowly, "my mom…my mom said that when you become a parent, you understand for the first time what a parent feels. But…but what you _really_ need to understand…what you _really_ shouldn't forget…is what you felt like as a _child_."

It was silent again as they both looked thoughtful. "The first time you did a somersault," Tohru compared, "the first time someone got really mad at you…If you can really remember what it felt like when you were a child…even when you're an adult or a parent," she smiled, "then you can understand each other." Ayame looked over, finally. "Even if it's not one hundred percent, you can meet each other half way, she said." Her smile grew brighter. _Because…thinking that way…reminds you that life is_ fun_._

Although it took her a while to notice it, Ayame had been staring at her. "Ah! No, that is, um…" she stammered, "What I meant to say was—Um, I mean…!" She bit her lip, knowing that she was just further confusing herself. Her expression turned intense as she looked back to Aaya. "Yuki-Kun and Ayame-San…you should meet halfway from now on!!"

Ayame just watched her with wide eyes. Tohru took a deep breath, as if she was going to say much more, but she just exhaled and slumped over. "…I'm sorry," she said, finally.

He blinked a few times, and said, "Oh…no, don't be. I was just thinking that was a beautiful thing to say."

She unknowingly blushed a little, and smiled. "Yes!! My mom is the best in the universe!!"

He looked at her as her face became brighter. _Actually I was referring to you…Oh well._ "But…now I see," he said. "I think I've figured out why Yuki is so cheerful. It starts here for us, too."

The waiter came over to their spot at the bar. "Sorry for the wait!" he apologized, placing a plate of gyouza in front of each of them.

"I guess I should try to think…as you do," Ayame continued. "Please continue…to honor Yuki with your friendship."

Tohru blinked.

sss

_At that time…Ayame-San was—_

"Honda-San!" Yuki exclaimed as soon as she walked in the door. She crossed her hands over her chest. He quickly came over to her. "Are you okay?!"

"Yes! What did you do for lunch?"

"More importantly, Nii-San didn't cause any_ trouble_, did he?"

"No!" Tohru told him, "He treated me to gyouza!" She cleared her throat. "Um…Yuki-Kun? Yuki-Kun, do you hate your brother?"

"Eh?" Yuki's expression changed dramatically to surprise, taken off guard.

"I—I'm sorry!" Tohru apologized. "I shouldn't have asked!"

"Not so much hate," Yuki answered her, a smile appearing. "It's just it's…kind of a sore spot for me…because I don't quite understand what he's thinking."

"If it's a sore spot we should heal it!!" came a voice from Tohru, but not Tohru. Yuki's eyes widened and suddenly realized why Tohru's hands were over her chest. "We need to meet each other halfway!!" Ayame's head—in the form of a snake—popped out from Tohru's collar. "…My little brother!"

Kyo saw from behind, just walking in. He glared.

Everyone's mouths fell open as Ayame slithered around the top of Tohru's head. She held up shaking hands and tried to explain. "Um, this—When we left the restaurant he got cold and transformed…and if snakes get too cold, they die!"

"Because I'm a snake!!"

Yuki looked down, first defeated, then flamingly angry. His head snapped up. "You're not a brother or anything else to me!!"

Ayame laughed obnoxiously. "You can't change the truth, Yuki!" Many crashes and loud bangs followed, as well as smacks.

Shigure walked into the room. "Oh, welcome back, you two."

Tohru watched, worriedly. _Oh, Yuki-Kun…if only you could have seen Ayame-San. He looked like an older brother…and smiled._

Ayame wrapped around Shigure's neck, but very lightly. "Gure-San, where may I sleep tonight?" he asked, as animated as usual.

"Eh? You're staying here?"

* * *

**A/N: You know...when I was writing this chapter I was having so much fun deciding on words to describe Ayame. Haha :] Well, please review and check back for updates! :3**

**_tWinKle*dAisY-_First of all, thanks for reviewing! Thank you, I've tried my best the whole way through! And no...I haven't come to chapter 30 in the manga yet, I don't think. That would be...hm...chapter 6 in my next story. Do you know about my whole stories thing? I'm posting six different stories, all covering four mangas, if you didn't know. So...I'll probably have it finished in a short time, and I won't be updating it until later, so I can send you any unposted chapters...I'm up to manga chapter 25, I believe.**


	22. Chapter TwentyTwo

**A/N: Okay, okay. For the past two weeks I kept remembering to update. I was thinking, _Oh, I'll update today, I have to remember to update today! _BUT... I kept forgetting! But this time I remembered so lucky you guys. :) Well...Chapter 22! This is still Ayame's visit. First part was one of my favorite moments in the anime. :D Ugh...first story almost over :(**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket. **

* * *

Two days later as his alarm clock went off, Kyo moaned and turned over. He didn't expect this at all or appreciate it, but he saw Ayame lying peacefully right next to him. Kyo's eyes went wide and he was suddenly awake. He tensed as Ayame mumbled, "I'm still sleeping," and put his arms around Kyo's neck.

Kyo shuddered angrily and sat up. "I'll kill you!!" Ayame bounced up and ran out wailing.

sss

"I had no choice," Ayame explained over breakfast. Yuki and Kyo were so disturbed they wouldn't eat. "Yuki had locked his door so I couldn't get in his room."

Slamming his fists on the table, Kyo exclaimed, "Then you should've slept in Shigure's room like yesterday!"

Ayame looked away, somber. "But…Gure-San would have kept me awake…"

"Now, now," Shigure said, "not in front of the children."

"Stop that!" Kyo grumbled. Yuki squeezed his eyes shut. _Ignore! Ignore! Ignore!_ Kyo turned back to Ayame. "How long do you plan on staying here, dammit?!"

Ayame laughed shrilly. "No need to worry!" He extended his arm around Tohru and smiled at her. "I'll be sleeping in _Tohru-Kun's_ room tonight!" Tohru blushed and pulled back, slightly, trying to not offend.

Yuki and Kyo shot up from their seats, clearly on their last nerve. "GO HOME!!"

Tohru watched the scene. _It's been three days since Ayame-San arrived, and the rift between him and Yuki-Kun…only seems to be growing._

sss

"Really? Aaya's visiting?!" Momiji asked after school. He smiled. "I haven't seen him since New Year's either because Aaya lives "outside"."

"Oh! Really?" Tohru thought since Ayame was one of the zodiac, he would most likely live on the inside.

"Maybe I'll go see him!" Momiji said. "But I probably shouldn't get in the way of the brothers' bounding!"

Hatsuharu looked up from his place on the steps. "That's _bonding_…"

"How's Yuki? Is he happy?" Momiji asked Tohru, ignoring Haru's correction. Tohru looked to Yuki, standing a good distance away from them. Momiji and Haru turned their heads, also. "Is Yuki sick?" Momiji wondered.

"Eh! Um—"

Haru stood up. "I see." He placed a hand on his waist. "Really…yeah. Okay."

Tohru looked at him questioningly, and Momiji just jumped into another subject. "Is it okay for Aaya to leave his shop for so long? He's the manager."

"Ayame-San has a shop?" Tohru gaped at Momiji.

"Yes," Haru said. "He sells…" –Haru thought a moment—"outfits…for nurses, stewardesses, maids…and stuff," he attempted to explain. It was silent, for they all knew that was _not_ the whole story.

Tohru and Momiji walked over to Haru. "He sells…dresses?" Tohru clarified.

"Well…I'm not sure…"

Momiji then said, "Aaya says that he sells _romance_!"

sss

Kyo, Yuki, and Tohru walked through the door, only to see, _again_, their unwelcome guest. _He's…still…here…_

"Oh my, am I impressed!" Ayame said, holding up a teacup. "To come home straight after school like that. Did you miss me that much? If you ask me, I'd rather be alone with Tohru-Kun again!"

Both he and Shigure laughed. "Welcome home," Shigure greeted them, smiling.

Ayame's last statement is the thing that had Yuki and Kyo so worried, but Tohru just looked at the table, where picture books and loose pictures were laid across it. Kyo escaped to the kitchen for a moment, and Yuki still stood, frozen, at the door. She asked, "What were you looking at?"

"This? It's an album from when we were in high school. Look!" Ayame said as he pointed to one of the pictures. It was of him, Shigure, and Hatori. "Tori-San's there, too."

"Wow…" Tohru muttered. _Shigure-San and Hatori-San look so young! _Even Hatori's hair didn't cover his now blind eye. _And Ayame-San looks exactly like Yuki-Kun…_With the exception of lighter, shoulder-length hair. Tohru looked to another picture on the table of just Ayame, his hair twisted and tied into a loose ribbon.

"Weren't we peachy?" Shigure asked, light toned.

"Yes!" Tohru smiled. "So, you've had long hair since high school, Ayame-San?"

"But of course! Although it was against the school rules."

"Oh?"

Yuki sat down at the table across from his brother. Ayame pushed the photo album towards him. "Here, Yuki—you look, too. It's your chance to get to know your brother." He smiled encouragingly.

He turned away, saying, "No, thanks."

Aaya sighed. "You're so stubborn. Well, you leave me no choice…I must explain _why_ I was allowed to have long hair."

"WHAT?!" Yuki turned back, flaming.

"It was…yes…right after orientation," Ayame began. Tohru just looked at him, wondering what she could possibly be in for.

"You don't have to explain!!" Yuki blared.

Kyo came back and sat on the floor with a soda. _He just wants to talk, doesn't he…?_

"The principal called me over…"

_The principal walked up and held a finger to Ayame, who looked down. "I've allowed that color, but I don't remember saying you could have long hair. Have it cut by tomorrow," he ordered._

_"But…principal…"_

_"No! Rules are made to be followed. I'll call the head of your family—"_

_"I…" Ayame started, "I come from a _royal family_."_

_"Huh?" the principal blinked and watched as Ayame looked up at him with firm eyes._

_"I've been hiding it until now, but there's a country to which I must return." _

_"Wh—WHAT?!"_

_"If you _must_ know, my hair has to be long because…it is said that the first king, the honorably Rurubara-Sama, received a message when he reached the age of four. It was from Kandora-Sama, who illumines the four directions with gold and red light. When Kandora-Sama chanted, 'Ma rudu mani,' his forehead shone with a blue light and, like a pony struck by a whip, Rurubara-Sama's honorable person was liberated. With a wave of warm compassion, like trees that bend in a light breeze, his supple tresses grew. Now," Ayame continued intensely, holding his hands up before him for effect, "Meanwhile, Kashiparuu-Sama was in his chambers sleeping peacefully, like a flower waiting to bud, and he gave voice to the pain that was in his heart, 'Kampiniiru!' 'Kampiniiru' in the tongue of my people means, 'come forth, ocean of God's power; go forth, veneration." _

_"Eh, er, um, just—" the principal stammered, trying to find an escape, "I'm sorry, but I have to go meet with some—"_

_As the principal tried to turn away, Ayame placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm not done explaining about Kandora-Sama."_

_"THAT'S OKAY!! YOU CAN HAVE LONG HAIR!!"_

"And so," Ayame continued in the present, "with that explanation, I was allowed to have long hair."

Tohru gasped and shuddered. "YOU'RE—YOU'RE FROM A ROYAL FAMILY?!"

"He was _obviously _lying, dummy!" Kyo said,

"Mm-hm," Shigure looked down, thinking. "Oh…the memories."

Yuki put his face in his hands. "I can't…believe it…"

"Want to hear something even _more_ unbelievable?" Shigure urged. "Aaya was the student body _president_." Yuki's head came up.

"That's wonderful!" said Tohru.

"Aaya was very popular in high school," Shigure continued, "After all…he was strikingly good-looking." Shigure recalled the memories of a regular winter day; Ayame wearing a leopard print fur coat, and Hatori telling him to stop acting foolish. "Everyone was charmed by Aaya's unpredictable behavior. While Aaya was in charge, he really made a difference. Rules changed. School was _fun_." Yuki looked at him, unbelieving. "I guess he had a knack for it."

"Oh no," Ayame disagreed. "I always thought Tori-San would have made a _much_ better president…So much more responsible. Remember the class trip incident?"

"Do I?" Shigure asked, incredulous. "How could I forget?"

Yuki, who had started to walk out, looked back. "What? What happened?" he asked, curious.

Tohru silently gasped. _He…! He…! Yuki-Kun's showing interest in Ayame-San!! It's your chance!! Now's the change to bridge the gap between you two, Ayame-San!!_

"Well," Ayame said, in a more serious tone, "on the trip…some of the students…that is to say…" Aaya crossed one arm over and rested his chin on his other hand. "A few students wandered over to the red light district."

Everyone stopped. The three of them all went, "Oh…"

"Oh! Please don't judge them too harshly!" Ayame held up his hand. "It was a place any curious young man might find himself wandering!" He paused. "Not that _we_ went _with_ them…"

"No," Shigure said, "we'd long since grown tired of _that_." Yuki and Kyo weren't sure they'd heard him correctly.

"Tell me about it!" Ayame exclaimed. He cleared his throat, realizing his outburst. "I suppose those students' luck had run out, because the teachers found out. And they almost went as far to _expel_ them. Of course, as the student body president, I spoke up in their defense. There was a large conference…involving the students, their guardians, the principal, and the teachers."

_At that conference, Ayame stood at the head of the conference table, leaning forward on his arms, hands on the table. "They set foot in the red light district as minors…not a laudable action. Rules are made to be followed, it's said. If they are not, order is lost. However," he continued, "if all sexual desires are denied as if it is evil, we cannot help but regret it. Because humans bear the responsibility of multiplying and replenishing the earth. I believe that sexual desire is in part a desire to fulfill that obligation."_

"_President…" one of the parents tried to interrupt. Ayame continued without acknowledgement._

"_Is that something to be ashamed of? Is it a sin?" The principal and vice principal realized that Ayame wasn't as dumb as they thought he was. "Therefore, here and now, I make a proposal," said Ayame. "To the under-aged youths that carry these carnal desires…to those who have no place within out vague rules…let us extend the hand of salvation!" Ayame slammed his hands on the table then stood straight to bring them to his chest. "From now on…direct your passions at me!!" _

_Everyone's mouths fell open. He continued. "As the elected representative of the student body, it is only a matter of course that I should shoulder all their carnal desires. Furthermore, if it comes from other men, then even their guardians should be relieved! Now, please…_lust after me_!!"_

"_Of course we will!"_

"_If it comes down to 'attack' or 'accept'…I choose to 'accept'!!" _

"_YOU IDIOT!" The principals shouted. "HE REALLY WAS AN IDIOT! SUCH AN IDIOT!!" They dragged a highly laughing Ayame out of the room. _

_Hatori looked away as he heard, "No need to worry, Hatori!! I may appear fragile, but I'm in control!!"_

Ayame half smiled, folding his hands. "And…so goes my wonderful story."

Tohru's mouth fell open. Yuki looked away. Kyo blurted, "What an idiotic story!!"

"How rude!" exclaimed Ayame. "Thanks to the incident, everyone was saved from expulsion." Kyo demanded how. "Because afterward, Haa-San stepped in and bailed everyone out."

Shigure then added, "And Aaya kept his presidency until graduation."

"What?!" Kyo shouted.

Ayame grinned at his brother. "What do you think, Yuki? Have you come to understand a little more about your brother?!"

Yuki said nothing at first, but then smiled. "Get out."

Tohru shook. _The rift…! The rift…!_

"Hm," Ayame said, eyebrows coming together in thought. "You still don't like me? In that case, shall I tell about the incident with the chairman of the board's statue?"

"Don't bother. Just leave," Yuki insisted.

Ayame began, "It was a beautiful summer day…"

Kyo was fed up with it. "GET OUT!" he exploded. He turned. "Shigure! Do something about him!!"

"Eh? Why? We're having so much _fun_!"

"That's right," Ayame agreed, "we're having _fun_!"

"We're all suffering!" Kyo's voice got higher out of annoyance.

"Well," Shigure said, "he generally doesn't listen to _me_, either. The only person he'll listen to is—"

"Hey." Everyone turned to see Hatori, who had made a silent entrance. "The door was open, so I let myself in…"

"Eh? Hatori-San?!" Tohru greeted in question.

"Speak of the devil…" said Shigure.

_His hair's getting long…_Kyo noticed.

"Tori-San!" Ayame cheered. "What brings _you_ here?"

"Hatsuharu-San…asked me to take Ayame home," said Hatori. Yuki's eyes widened at that. So did Tohru's. They both remembered the conversation earlier. Hatori sighed. "That's enough for today. Let's go home, Ayame."

Ayame's face was calm for a split second, and then he rose suddenly from his seat. "Well, bye-bye!"

"HUH?!" exclaimed the three of them. How could Ayame listen that well? He seemed before that he wasn't even _going_ to leave.

Aaya turned. "Tori-San, did you walk here?"

"No, I'm parked out front."

"I'll drive as an apology!"

"No," Hatori flat-out rejected him.

"WHAT THE HELL'S GOING ON?!" demanded Kyo. Everyone was still confused, except for Shigure, who knew why.

"Are you sad to see me go?" asked Ayame. "Tori-San has come to get me, so I _must _go. Yuki!" Ayame bent down to Yuki and looked at him, one hand on his chest. "With everything that happened, all the excitement, we didn't really have time to talk. But don't fret. I'll be back…little brother."

Yuki narrowed his eyes. _You're the one who caused the "excitement"…!_

"Well, then, Tori-San!" Ayame went for the door, where Hatori was waiting. "Let us be off! Gure-San, I'll see you again. I'll come visit you," he decided. Stopping in the doorway, he turned to wink at Tohru. She blinked, raising her eyebrows. "Farewell my friends!" Ayame called, laughing out the door.

Kyo stood, grabbing his head, confused. "What…the hell…?"

"Aaya has only ever listened to Haa-San," Shigure explained briefly.

"Really?" asked Tohru. "I wonder why?"

"He looks up to him," Shigure said. "Haa-San…has something that Aaya admires. He looks up to him…and adores him. Once, a long time ago, he talked seriously to me about it. I guess—to put it simply—he _loves_ him."

Kyo looked over, slowly. "So…Hatori became his _baby-sitter_?"

Shigure smiled and laughed a little. "Well, yeah, that too."

sss

"I'm sorry to trouble you like this," apologized Ayame as they walked.

"Then perhaps you should consider your actions next time," Hatori suggested.

"Oh, but I do! I just can't seem to get Yuki to open up."

"Yuki's not stupid." Ayame's eyes widened. "He's just…" –Hatori looked down—"…he's still a child. There are still a lot of things…he can't give up. There's no rush."

"Tohru-Kun…resembles you a little," Ayame noticed. He laughed lightly, like he rarely did. "She spends all her energy helping other people." He smiled. "I'm really…bad…at that sort of thing."

_His is it that he…always says what I want him to say?_

"I really can't compete with you, Tori-San…"

_"There's no rush."_

sss

"But Ayame-San's stories _are_ very funny!" Tohru told Yuki that night over dishes. As always, she washed, and he dried.

"He's _hopeless_," Yuki said, feelings unreadable.

Tohru flinched. _The rift. _"Oh! Uh, um…but, Ayame-San…!"

"But—" Yuki continued, "I suppose he has his good side…to stick up for others…at his own expense…" Tohru looked at him and he looked at the plate he was drying instead of at her. "I guess…that's pretty…cool…"

A spark of hope lit inside Tohru. She looked to Kyo, who was in the living room, and then back to Yuki. She smiled. _"You should try…to meet each other halfway."_

sss

"Haru," said Yuki. Hatsuharu looked over. "Um…hey," Yuki began. Since he hesitated, Haru walked over to him. "You looked after me yesterday…" He looked away. "Thanks."

Haru blinked, surprised, but then he remembered his call to Hatori yesterday. He smiled.

_"Thinking that way is more fun."_

Tohru stood with Uo and Hana, telling them about Ayame's visit, when she remembered. "Oh yeah!" she gasped. "I forgot to ask what kind of shop sells nurse and maid uniforms!"

"What are you going on about now?" Uotani's eyes narrowed thin.

Hana's did the same. "Are you talking about a _cosplay _club?"

* * *

**A/N: Hehe thanks again you guys for reading! I was about to use the anime line for Hanajima but I didnt realize I forgot to use it until I finished. I was going to have her say, "She mean's a lingerie shop...." Oh well. :P **

**_BornAtTheBreakOfDawn- _Thanks again! Umm I will _definitely _send you the unposted chapters! Very soon. But...OKAY, so as you may not know....I'm new to fanfiction. Still. I don't know a lot about it, and I'm kind of confused as to how the document trader thinger thing works! Haha. So...as soon as I get that straight! Of course, it would be faster with just email, but...that's your email.... o.O You may take me on as a stalker so I guess...nevermind. I'll figure it out!**


	23. Chapter TwentyThree

**A/N: This chapter is so sad... TT_TT I can't believe I'm catching up to the end of the story now. Only this and one more chapter (and a bonus chapter with theatres if you're lucky!) and the first story is done. Bad news is........I'm only on chapter three of the next story. YEP! I'm so lazy! :( I'll work extra hard, promise! **

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket, because I'm not awesome enough! ...Well, and I'm not Natsuki Takaya.**

* * *

Momiji watched as the young girl reached up to her mother. Her mother bent down to brush her daughter's hair out of her face as smile as the girl tugged on the woman's collar. Momiji smiled and ran off before he was discovered.

_I don't think…there are any memories that are okay to forget. None._

sss

"Shigure-San…" He looked up from the table and to Tohru, who was carrying a stack of bowls to the cabinet in the kitchen. Yuki, who had been wiping the table, looked up as well. "It's about May first…" she said, "is it all right if I go out that afternoon?"

"Of course it's all right," he approved. "I'll be running errands that day, myself. Are you going out with your girlfriends?"

"Yes!" She smiled. "It's the anniversary of my mom's death, so we're going to visit her grave!" Shigure's smile melted, remembering the accident that her mother was in. Kyo gazed at the ground from his position in the doorway. Yuki's hand over cloth stopped on the table.

"Oh…this is the first anniversary of her death, isn't it?" asked Shigure.

"Yes—we're not planning anything special, though."

"I'm sorry I can't be there…" he apologized.

"Eh?! No, no! Please don't worry about it," she said.

"I wonder…" Yuki spoke up, "…could I come along?" he asked.

"Eh? Huh?! B—but…"

"I'd like…to meet her…" he said, standing up straighter and smiling, tilting his head to the side. "…your mother."

Tohru's features immediately brightened with a smile. "Thank you. Thank you so much! Mom will be so happy!"

There was a lack of response from Kyo. "Kyo-Kun," Shigure said, looking over, "If you don't have any plans, you should go, too."

He didn't say anything.

sss

The three of them went down the steps, glad school was done. "Really? So Prince Charming's coming along?" asked Uo after Tohru had told her. "What about Kyon?"

"Oh…I don't know," Tohru said, "He didn't say anything."

Hanajima, so far silent, fell ahead of them, reaching the bottom of the steps as Uo and Tohru followed.

"I bet Kyoko-San would like Kyon," Uotani said. "She'd tease him like crazy." Tohru laughed; pretty sure they shared the same image of Kyoko ruffling Kyo's hair continuously giggling over how orange it was.

Hana gazed, her mental image changing dramatically. "And when Kyo Sohma was boiling with rage…she'd squeeze hard enough to break his back."

Tohru's eyes widened. "That would be terrible!!" _In so many ways!!_

Her eyes looked up; Saki noticed something that surprised her the most. "It's been…a whole year…" she said, slowly, "…since your mother passed away."

Arisa gave one laugh. "Yeah, but, you know…I still feel like she'll show up any minute…smiling like she always did…and saying, 'My bad, my bad!'" Tohru smiled thoughtfully. "Sorry," Uo said after a moment, rubbing her forehead. "Got kind of serious there. But, well, that's just how great Kyoko-San was."

Uo closed her eyes and partly held up a loosely clenched fist. "The legend of the 'Red Butterfly of Kannana' will never die."

"That divine deco-tra," –Hana referred to the inscription on Kyoko's coat—"will forever be etched into my heart."

"Tohru!" She stopped smiling and looked around. "Hide me, hide me!" Momiji said, ducking behind her, gripping the fabric of her shirt.

"Huh? Wha—?! Momiji-Kun?!"

Momiji smiled and giggled. "We're playing Cops and Robbers right now! I'm the robber! You're working today, right, Tohru? See you later!" Momiji started towards the door.

One of Momiji's classmates leaned into the window, struggling to get through. "Momiji! Freeze, criminal! You can't hide from me!"

From down the hallway, called a laughing Momiji, "They found me!! Tschϋß!"

Tohru leaned out the door. "Wh—watch where you're going…" she said, watching as he looked back at her for the second time, running at full speed down the hall.

"Hey guys! I found Momiji!" A few guys pushed through the doorway and ran down the hallway after Momiji.

Tohru, Hanajima, and Uotani watched. "…He certainly is energetic…" noticed Uo.

"That's good for a growing boy," Hana said.

"Oh, hey, that kid—" Uo nodded down the hallway. "Which of his parents is German?"

Tohru replied, "Huh…now that you mention it…" she trailed off. _Actually…I haven't heard much about _any_ of the Sohma parents…_she noticed.

_"I never even laughed like this in front of my parents."_

sss

"Tohru-Kun has tried…really hard," Hana said, walking with Uo. "She's been able to keep smiling for a whole year. I'm sure she scolded herself every time she was about to get depressed. I…" –she hesitated— "If Tohru-Kun were to die, I…I wonder if I'd be able to smile again…or if I'd wish…that I could forget ever having met her?"

Hana closed her eyes and smiled softly. "Tohru-Kun…is so strong."

sss

"Will you be done once you've taken this out?" Momiji asked, helping Tohru take out the trash at work that night.

"Yes! Thank you for helping me."

He smiled. "I don't mind. It's _fun_!" She smiled back. "Is Yuki coming to pick you up today?"

"Yes!"

"Kyo cold come get you sometimes, too," said Momiji. "He's so _stubborn_!" Tohru just kept a smile, wondering, as he laughed.

On the way back upstairs, Tohru remembered what Uo had wanted to know earlier. "Oh yeah…Momiji-Kun?"

"Was?" he asked 'what'.

"Which one of your parents is German?"

"Mutti!" he replied in German by habit.

Tohru looked at him. "Moo….tea?" she said slowly and confusedly.

"That means my mom!"

"Oh! Your mother!" Tohru realized.

"I have a picture!" Momiji told her. He pulled out a picture frame and showed it to her. "Ta-dah!" It was a woman with sharp features and long hair that was curly and blonde, like Momiji's.

Tohru gaped at the picture and gasped, taking it from his hands. "SH—SHE'S BEAUTIFUL!" Momiji laughed lightly and smiled. She stared at the picture. _She really is pretty…Momiji-Kun takes after his mother._

"She met Papa—Oh!" Momiji stopped in mid-sentence to add, "Papa is a Sohma! –she met Papa when they were in college and they got married!" he said. "And! And!" he continued, excitedly, "I have a little sister! Her name's _Momo_! Momo looks _just_ like Mama!"

Tohru looked up slowly, and then gasped. "You have a sister, Momiji-Kun?!"

"Ja!" he replied. "She's in the second grade right now. Ah! But Momo isn't a member of the zodiac. And! And!" –he held up a finger—"She looks just like Mama! She's _so_ spoiled! She follows Mama around like a baby chick! But she doesn't speak much Japanese," he said, "she has a lot of trouble with it." He smiled. "She's _so_ cute!"

She tilted her head and returned the smile. _That sounds nice…_

"Mama and Momo usually come to pick up Papa from work," Momiji went on, "Ah! It might be time!"

"So you'll all go home together, right?" Tohru asked.

"Yeah!" Tohru smiled. "I wish!" he said, smiling. Tohru lost hers. "Mama…doesn't know about me," he told her.

Tohru looked at him, confused, and looking sad for him. _Huh…?_

"Momiji-Chan?"

They both turned to find the source of his name.

"Is that you, Momiji-Chan?" a woman asked. It was Momiji's mother. Her long hair was tucked into a bun, and wore dark lipstick, a long dark dress, and long dangling earrings. Momo in her dress with a cute bow in her hair, held onto the fabrics of her mother's skirt, looking at Tohru and Momiji curiously. "What are you doing…in a place like this so late at night?" his mother asked him.

Tohru's eyes widened and she looked at his mother. _Speak of the devil…as they say! _She pressed the picture against her chest so they wouldn't see it. _So this girl is Momo-San? _Tohru looked down at Momo, and she looked back up into her eyes. _Really, _Tohru thought, looking back up, _Momiji-Kun looks more like his mother…_

Momiji laughed once and put his hands on the back of his head, smiling. "My friend works here part-time…so I came to play with her!" Tohru turned her head to Momiji.

"_Mama doesn't know about me."_

His mother cocked her head. "But this isn't a playground."

Momiji spread his arms out before him and bowed to her. "I know! I'm sorry."

"Besides," the woman continued, "if you stay out too late, won't your mother worry?"

Tohru's eyes grew wide as Momiji said, "It's okay, I'm going now."

"Oh? Don't take any shortcuts," she told him. The woman smiled nicely and turned to Tohru. "Thanks for cleaning."

"Oh…yes…" Tohru muttered, slow, still trying to make sense of what she said before.

The woman looked down. "Okay, Momo. Let's go. Papa must be tired of waiting." Momo looked up and gave a small, short nod, and they walked down the hallway towards the Sohma office.

Once he was sure they were out of hearing distance, Momiji put the back of his hand on his forehead, and sighed. "Unglϋck! She saw me! I'll have to apologize to Papa later!"

"Momiji-Kun…"

That reminded him of what he was going on about before. "Yeah…Mama doesn't know about me," he said again, looking down. "She forgot. Her memories were…suppressed. Mama thinks that…I'm one of the Sohma children." Tohru remembered she was holding the picture, and looked at it again.

"Children who are cursed by vengeful sprits," Momiji continued, "are born two months earlier than usual." Tohru's expression became pained, hurt, as she kept her eyes on the picture. It was as if…she was his mother…but he wasn't…her son.

"To meet your true love…then marry your true love…and have a baby with your true love…and hold that baby…and then have it turn into a strange baby animal…What despair…a mother would feel," Momiji muttered. "The mothers of children possessed by vengeful spirits…either become extremely overprotective of them…or _reject_ them entirely. My Mama rejected me. She rejected me with her whole body. She wouldn't look at me," he said, only slightly struggling to say it, "She was always irritated…always hysterical…"

"Thinking about it now…I can tell she was _broken_," said Momiji. "Just like Kana."

"_Momiji…" his father told him on that day, embracing him, "Your Mama's case seems hopeless now. But…they say that if she forgets about you, she might get better. I imagine this will be really hard for you, Momiji. But Papa will love you more than enough for both of us. If you love Mama too…will you help her?" His father pulled back to look at him. _

_When it was about to happen, Momiji looked into Hatori's examination room. He sat across from his mother. "Are you really…Are you really okay with forgetting?" Hatori asked her. "You won't…regret it?"_

_Tears fell from his mother's eyes. "The greatest regret I have in this life…is that that c_reature_ came out of my body."_

"And so," Momiji said, "I disappeared from Mama's memories. Mama eventually got better. In two months, she could smile again," he added, sitting on the floor. Tohru covered her eyes with the picture, not touching her face, though, to hide her tears. "I wonder if I really helped Mama."

_And…he's been watching over her all this time, hasn't he? _Tohru thought. _Quietly…from far away…so she wouldn't see him. When I met him here the first time, _she recalled the time when she'd slipped in front of his father's office that he'd happened to be in, _he was probably here to see his mother. _

"But," Momiji continued, smiling only a little, "I think…" –his finger traced circles on the tile floor—"I want to live will all my memories. Even if they're sad memories. Even if they're memories that only hurt me. Even…even if they're memories that I'd rather forget." An image of her mother came to Tohru's mind.

"If I keep them and keep trying, without running away…if I keep trying, then someday…someday I'll be strong enough that those memories won't defeat me," he said. "I believe that. I want to…believe that."

Tohru couldn't help the tears that poured down her cheeks as he continued. "Because I want to think…that there's no such thing…as a memory that's okay to forget. That's why…that's why I really…didn't want Mama to forget. I wanted her to keep trying. But…that was my selfishness. It's a secret," he said, putting one finger over his lips.

She sobbed once or twice, and then dropped the picture, kneeling to the floor to wrap her arms around Momiji, leaving her holding him as a rabbit. The other workers looked up at the sound. _Yes…me too. _"I also…believe that."

Momiji's eyes watered. Tohru and him sat there for who knows how long. _I want to take any memory…and hold it in my heart…and believe that._

sss

"Hey," Kyo said. Yuki looked over. "I'm going with you. You know…to visit her grave." Yuki said nothing, but gave him a look.

sss

Tohru held Momiji in front of her and they laughed at the situation. _So I can be someone who won't let those memories defeat me. Someday…we'll overcome the pain. And we'll have precious memories. _

* * *

**A/N: The last line is one of my favorite quotes. :) 3 I hope I did well on this chapter, and you enjoyed reading it, of course! Stay tuned for the END of the story! The last chapter will be posted soon! Then, there will be a break from posting until I start up the next story! À bientôt! (Feeling French today. Whatever I intend for that to mean...) ^_^**

**_BornAtTheBreakOfDawn-_Good, because I'm not one!! I sent you a connection request for DocX, whatever that is. I think if you accept it, I can send you unpublished chapters! I think we're close to figuring it out, finally. :) Thanks again! **


	24. Chapter TwentyFour

**A/N: The last chapter is here!! For this part at least. Happy reading! By the way, I've decided to be nice and make a bonus chapter to put on after this one with Omake Theatres and the bonus chapter from the manga about the Drama CD which was really kind of random, I thought... :D Happy reading!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Fruits Basket.**

* * *

_What should I call…this feeling? _

Kyo looked around as the three of them arrived. They all wore black; Tohru had had her dress picked out for days, where Yuki and Kyo just threw on the first black articles of clothing they found that morning. "This temple is tiny…" Kyo commented.

"Yes!" Tohru smiled. She liked it. Even if it was just small and simple. That was good enough for her. "It has a homey feeling! I like it!"

"Why would you want that feeling from a temple…?" Kyo wondered. He didn't say it in an irritated way like he usually would, but just a curious tone.

Tohru's hair flew around her face as she turned her head quickly to Kyo. "Huh?! Is that strange?!"

"It's okay."

They continued walking, in search of Uotani and Hanajima. The three of them were supposed to meet them at Kyoko's grave. But technically, it wasn't just Kyoko's, but the entire Honda family's.

"But…" Yuki started, glancing around, "I'm glad the weather is so nice. It's been so overcast lately, I was worried…" he trailed off.

Tohru smiled thoughtfully. "Maybe it's because Mom is so happy…that everyone is coming to visit her grave." Kyo looked up slightly, blinking, but then quickly replaced his composure.

"Uotani-San and Hanajima-San are meeting us there, right?" clarified Yuki.

"Yes! I'm sure they're already—"

"Tohru!" two simultaneous voices called out. The two guys looked up and Tohru did, too, but smiling luminously.

"Hi!" she said back to her friends. They waved at her from a distance away.

"Yo!" Uo called, smiling. "Great day for visiting a grave, huh?"

"Yes!" said Tohru.

Yuki and Kyo said nothing, noticing outfits, actually. Hana wore a long black dress with a veil, but Uo wore a long, long coat. It wasn't just a plain coat, but it was a gang uniform. On the left side of the chest, there was a Japanese flag, and it read: 'Southern Alliance'. The sleeve of the coat read: 'Fifth Generation Leader of the Suicide Squad'. Hanajima carried a huge bouquet of flowers.

Kyo, no longer able to contain his opinions, blurt, "What's with that outfit?!"

Uo eyed him suspiciously. "What do you mean?"

Looking down, Hanajima's hand came to her chest. "Is it too plain?" she asked.

"Not you!!" Kyo grumbled.

"Uotani-San…" Yuki began, re-reading everything written on the long coat. "…is that…a suicide squad uniform?"

"Oh. You recognize it?" asked she. She spun around, placed a hand on her hip, and with the other hand she pointed to the back of the coat which was now facing Yuki. On the back of the coat was a detailed symbol of a red butterfly. "I got this from Kyoko-San," she said, "The coat of the leader of the Red Butterfly Suicide Squad."

He blinked. "R-Red…butterfly?"

Tohru held up a finger and grinned. "That's my mom's name from when she was a _gang leader_!" she said proudly.

_A gang leader…she says, smiling, _thought Yuki.

Uo and Hana turned for the steps to the graves and Tohru followed as they started up. "The gang's all here, so let's go!" Uo said, holding a fist high in the air.

Kyo and Yuki weren't getting them. _They're having fun…they're seriously having fun…_

They all walked up to the grave. It was spotless. Yuki kneeled down to it, noticing. "It's so clean. Has someone already been here?"

"Oh! It must have been Grandpa!" said Tohru. "Grandpa knows Mom's favorite food!" She noticed the kashiwa-mochi, or rice cakes wrapped in oak leaves.

"Grand…" Kyo started to ask, "Oh, that…"

"Yes!"

"Your grandfather on which side?" asked Yuki.

"My father's father!"

Hana glanced up, helping Uo separate the flowers from the bouquet. Uo was turned so that her other sleeve revealed to say 'The Black-clad Butterfly has arrived'. _Kyoko-San was estranged from her parents…_she remembered.

"What happened…to your father?" he asked, expression softening.

Tohru bent down to place a paper bag in front of the grave. "He came down with pneumonia," she explained briefly, "…they said. I was too small to remember it very well, though."

Him and Kyo both said nothing, but that cleared something up for Yuki_. Oh, I see…that's why she was so…_He couldn't find a word due to drawing a serious blank, but he recalled the night exactly.

_She gasped and stood up. "Th—that's terrible! Do you have a fever?!" She ran over to him with her hand held out to feel his forehead. At first Yuki pulled away, startled, but then stayed put so she could check._

"Mom, we're here!" said Tohru, smiling, bending down to her mother's grave.

"We're here," Hana said, softly.

"Gramps already cleaned up…so we don't have much to do," Uo stated.

Yuki crouched down next to Tohru. _Her father died, and then her mother died, too. So why…_ Yuki only made himself more confused. _Why isn't she under a dark shadow? How can she keep smiling…and be so bright? _

_I remember the day of the accident. _It replayed in Yuki's head; Tohru ran out of the room. _She was called out by a teacher in the middle of class…after talking for a bit, she ran out of the classroom. Her two friends followed her out. For a while, the class was in an uproar. During all that…I wondered vaguely…if maybe one of her relatives got in an accident. Back then, she was just someone I only vaguely knew existed…Just some person called 'Tohru Honda'. _

_Now…living in the same house…being so close…and smiling with her…it's…strange, _he thought.

"Yuki-Kun, look!" Tohru said, holding up an armful of flowers. These flowers are wonderful!" She smiled. He smiled back. _It's a strange…feeling. _Kyo noticed it, too. A strange feeling.

Tohru held the flowers by the middle of the stems, and tried to set them against the grave. They fell. She picked them up, straightened them, and tried again. They fell again. "H—huh?! They won't stand up right…" Tohru frowned.

"Let me see it," Uo said, "Prince Charming, hold it there."

"Okay."

"Do you need me to help…?" Hana offered.

"No," Uo declined. "If you helped, they'd look like they were cursed."

Kyo stuffed his hands in his pockets and faced the opposite direction that everyone else was in. "Hanajima…?" he asked. She looked to him. He didn't see her, but he continued slowly and carefully, "You…that is…do you…see ghosts and stuff?"

Hana closed her eyes. "Of course not…I don't have the spiritual sense…"

"Huh? But your…waves…?"

"Waves and spirits are different," she said, looking down, "Don't put them on the same level. Denpa waves are like people's feelings…Rather than hearing with my ears, they come directly into my brain waves," she explained.

"I didn't ask for a frickin' dissertation," Kyo said, irritated.

"Why do you ask…?" she wondered, slightly suspicious.

"No reason. I didn't mean anything by it."

It was silent for a moment or two, and then Hanajima's head lifted, but she kept her eyes lower. "Living humans are the strongest…" she continued, "The dead do give off waves…but they are very weak. They're drowned out by the strength of the thoughts of the living. Even now, it's the same…Even now…your waves are echoing…"

A confused look crossed her face. She glanced at him, and he didn't notice her stare. "Why are you…standing before a grave with such feelings of regret…?" Kyo's eyes widened and he stepped away from her. "Chaos…" Hana recognized.

"Kyo-Kun, is something wrong?" Tohru asked. He looked over a little, darkened.

"It's nothing," was his automatic response.

"Yes…" Hana smiled, playing along.

"Oh…" Tohru said, "Really? Ah! Then both of you, please come this way!"

She pulled on Kyo's arm. "Huh?"

"It's all ready!" cheered Tohru.

Kyo looked to where she was dragging him to, and saw Uo and Yuki kneeled on the ground…with food. "Don't eat lunch in front of a grave!!" Kyo rose his voice.

Uo looked up. "Wh—? It's okay," she said, "Kyoko-San would be happier if we made a lot of noise."

"What if someone who works here sees us?!"

"We'll apologize," she answered, simple.

_She packed a picnic? _Yuki noticed. _Most people wouldn't do this…_

"Anyway," said Uotani, "sit down, Kyon. You're making me uncomfortable."

"Fine! Just shut up…" Kyo sat down on the end, in between Tohru and Hanajima, which was non-coincidentally the farthest spot from Yuki.

Tohru smiled and picked up a pair of chopsticks, and started to break them. "Kyo-Kun! What would you like?" she asked.

"I'm fine," Kyo replied, crossing his arms.

"Okay!"

No one said anything until Yuki decided that a conversation needed to start with him or it wouldn't. He looked to Uo. "Were you and Hanajima-San good friends with Honda-San's mother?"

"She was friends with_ us_," Uo told him, smiling. "She was a legend before we met her, though, and I'd always wanted to be like her."

"A legend…?" Kyo's narrowed eyes turned up.

"Like I _said_," –Uotani looked to him—"the legend of the Red Butterfly. When Kyoko-San rode her bike, it was like a butterfly flying…her red taillights—soaring through the night."

"I don't get it," he said.

"This is delicious…" Hana commented, as always being completely off-subject.

"You have no imagination!" Uo snapped back.

"What?!"

Tohru could do nothing but smile.

When it came time for them to leave, they split up and Uo and Hana walked one way towards their homes, and the others walked towards theirs. Tohru and Uotani waved goodbye to each other.

"You know," Uo started as Hana looked over, "when those three are together…it's been a lot more relaxed lately," she rephrased. "Prince Charming doesn't act like he has a stick up his ass all the time, you know? And it almost seems like Kyon's trying to take care of Tohru." She looked at the clouds and smiled while they continued walking. "Someday…one of them might end up admitting he likes her."

"Oh my," Hana said, "I would hate that. I won't approve of a romantic association with Tohru-Kun so easily…"

Uotani looked to her. "When did you become the mother-in-law?"

She closed her eyes, replying, "I was half-joking."

"So…You were half-serious?" Uo prompted.

"Yuki Sohma and Kyo Sohma's hearts…are still ruled by chaos…or confusion. I can't really put my finger on it…but a dark shadow has fallen over their thoughts," Hanajima described, "Everyone has some thoughts like that…but with those two, it's much worse than usual. As long as they have those thoughts, there may not be room for love. And if I may say so…they both seem extremely _dense_ in that arena."

"Yeah, but so's Tohru," Uo reminded her. Then she smiled. "But…well…there are times when…without knowing why, before you know it…a person 'blooms'."

"Oh no…" Hana said, voice weaker than usual due to the subject, "When I think of Tohru-Kun going off to be a bride…it makes me cry."

Uotani stuffed her hands in her pockets. "Now you're _really _jumping to conclusions."

sss

Tohru sighed, kneeling down on the porch—facing the backyard which was relaxingly beautiful—with a warm cup in her hands. "A nice cup of tea really hits the spot after a long day like today. We had a fun visit today," she said, looking up to the sky with a smile. _I'm glad I could introduce Yuki-Kun and Kyo-Kun to mom._

_Mom, those two always take care of me. Someday, I hope you can meet Shigure-San, too. Mom…because of the people in this house…every day is fun. So please don't worry about me…just keep watching over me. Mom…_

Before Tohru knew it, she was asleep. Kyo was walking out to the porch to go up to the roof, but found Tohru curled up with an empty cup next to her, deeply asleep. "Hm? Why's she sleeping here…?" he muttered.

He bent down and put a hand on her head. "Hey. It's pretty windy out here…you'll catch a cold." He shook her. She barely twitched. "C'mon! Wake up!"

Tohru burst into loud laughs, which faded to giggles, then into a sigh. Kyo sat and put a hand on his head, squeezing shut his eyes. _She sleeps like a little kid!_

Kyo opened his eyes and looked at her. He put his hand down. "Hey…" He leaned closer to her. "I'm sorry, okay?" he murmured.

sss

Yuki shut his bedroom door and started down the hallway. Before he made it three steps, he stopped, noticing a few papers scattered out of Tohru's door. He looked in her room to see papers trailing to her bed. Yuki noticed that the window was open. _Ah…were they scattered by the wind?_

He caught a glance of her bookshelf, but looked back. There was a red baseball cap sitting alone on one of the shelves. _That hat…was it there when I dug her things out of the landslide? _he wondered. _I guess I should pick these up…_He bent down to pick up the papers and set them with the book on her bed.

But the hat. It triggered a memory. A boy, pulling the cap over his head, and running the opposite direction of a little girl running into her mother's open arms.

sss

_What should I call…this feeling? _Kyo brushed the hair out of Tohru's face, smiling. _Still sleeping…in my undeveloped heart…_

_The flower in my heart._

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**A/N: Yup. Ending it there. Okay...now there will be one more chapter after this one, the bonus chapter. But after that...there will be a long break from posting so I can continue writing some more of the next story! :) I want to say thanks again to all the people who have read this! :) See you soon! Well...you know what I mean.**

**_BornAtTheBreakOfDawn- _That's good! I'll check my--well, by the time you're reading this, I'll have sent you the chapters. If not, we'll keep trying! I must admit...I cried too when I watched--well--read, that part of the anime. It was so sad how, as young as he was, he was just...completely rejected from his mother. So...sad. :( And actually...thanks for pointing out the typo...I may not go back and fix it...but thanks for telling me! If you don't know...I actually...on my author's note for the very first chapter, I _asked_ for mistakes to be pointed out. :) So thank you! By the way, yes, it was "Kyo could". Happy-to-give-you-chapter-24-ingly yours, Sera! :)**


	25. Omake Theatre CollectionBonus Chapter

**A/N: When I finished this first story I thought, "Why not throw in the theatres?" Those were the little scenes in between and after some of the chapters in the mangas. I put them all in, and decided to do the bonus chapter too. This was just a little carefree add-on, here you are :) By the way, I'm sorry it took a while for me to update, I was on vacation. ;D  
**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Fruits Basket.  
**

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**Omake Theatre 1**

**(A/N: This is takes place before Tohru.)**

The girls at school call Yuki 'the Prince', but they haven't seen this mess.

Yuki walked over to the trash can in the kitchen with an empty take-out container. _This is pretty bad. We really should clean soon. _He thought about it a little longer, but just ended up throwing the plastic container into to growing amounts of trash. _Oh well…What difference will one more make?_ And the sea of decay expands!

Cleanliness may be close to godliness…but if Yuki's any indication, there's no correlation with princeliness.

**Omake Theatre 2 **

"No!! I don't wanna go to the same school as Yuki!!" Kyo complained.

"What's wrong?" asked Shigure, "You can talk to all the innocent, young high school girls!"

"Um…I'm the same age as Kyo-Kun…" Tohru pointed out, being a high school student.

"If you're so set against school," said Yuki, "why didn't you just bomb the entrance exam on purpose?"

Kyo stopped and widened his eyes. "Why didn't I think of that?!"

"Because you're an idiot," Yuki and Shigure said in sync.

**Omake Theatre 3**

"Shigure-San! Why do you always wear traditional clothes?" Tohru asked. "You looked wonderful in that suit!" she said, smiling, and added, "Not that you don't look good in traditional clothes, too."

"What? Oh, that." He grinned, holding up a finger. "I'm a novelist. That's why. A novelist can't be without a kimono and a pen," he said, although he uses a computer.

"Really?" Tohru asked.

"Don't be so gullible, moron!" Kyo shouted from behind her.

_As far as Shigure's concerned, _thought Yuki, _looking the part's as important as actually writing._

**Omake Theatre 4**

Tohru attends a pretty prestigious high school. Alas, her grades are not very good.

"And you have a job, too," Yuki laughed, straightening a stack of books and papers. "Ask me anything you don't understand."

"Okay! Thank you so much!" Tohru said, smiling.

"Umm…" Yuki looked through one of the books to find a question. "Please explain the proverb 'You can't see the forest for the trees'…"

Tohru looked determined to give him the right answer. "Well, if I see trees…I know I'm in a forest!" She looked up, unsure.

"Uh-huh, this is going to take some explaining."

**Omake Theatre 5**

"Hanajima-San, I hear you have a little brother," said one of the two other students walking up to her.

"Is he cute?"

"Does he look like you?! Does he?!"

"Not at all…" said Hana. She pulled out a photo of him and her. "See? We're _nothing_ alike." The photo showed her and her brother, Megumi, standing side by side in capes and all black. They shared the exact same features, eye color, hair color, and expression at the time. There was a strange pattern in the background.

The girls looked at the picture. _But…you look exactly the same. I get the feeling…they're even more alike than they look. _

"Pay no need to the aura behind us in the picture. It's nothing to worry about."

**Omake Theatre 6**

Two girls walked up to Hanajima. "Can you really send out electro-magnetic waves? Is it useful?"

"Like, can you _kill_ people if they make you mad?"

"I wouldn't do that," Hana answered. "My classmate from fourth grade…the keeper of the class pet…I think he's out of the hospital by now." Keep in mind that she is in high school now.

_Out of the hospital…? OUT OF THE HOSPITAL?! _

**Omake Theatre 7**

1999

The end of the century is near! A certain prophet predicted that the world would end in the year of 1999. Japan is no exception. This story takes place in the chaos that is our Japan, as the end of the century draws near…

"A touching tale of school romance with a little bit of fantasy—And a whole lot of fun for the entire family," Shigure narrated.

"It's a fun-tastic fantasy!" Tohru said. "Or a fantastic fun-tasy?"

"It has nothing to do with the end of the world," said Yuki and Kyo.

**Omake Theatre 8**

Shigure came into the room and sat down. "I have an important announcement." He looked up, intense, and all eyes went on him. "Yuki-Kun is really…A WOMAN!!" Yuki stood over him, flaring, Kyo just looked awkward, and Tohru giggled. "I kid, I kid," he said, holding up a hand. "See, I just thought it would make more of an impact if I said something dramatic. You're 100% male, Yuki-Kun. Well…at least 80%."

**Omake Theatre 9**

"Hey, Hanajima—Normally, I hate girly stuff like fortune telling…but I wouldn't mind if you predicted whether or not I'll beat Yuki."

"…Okay." Hana closed her eyes, but then opened them, sighed, and looked away.

"Why are you looking away?!" Kyo snapped.

"You're very superstitious, aren't you?" Yuki said, instantly appearing behind him. "I bet you can't even whistle at night."

**Bonus Chapter **

**(A/N: Even though this barely relates to the storyline...I just thought, "whatever I'll throw this in too.")**

"Shigure-San, Shigure-San—It's terrible!" Tohru told him, "They say they're going to make a CD Drama about us!! And it's going to be an original story…but what kind of story could it possibly _be_?!"

Shigure looked at her with slightly narrowed eyes and a grin. He chuckled. "Well, obviously, Tohru-Kun, it will have lots…of lively, vivacious high school girls."

You're completely wrong, Shigure-San!

"But you're an idiot," Yuki said to Kyo.

"I am _not_ an idiot!!" Kyo yelled back.

"Nageshi soumen!" Momiji cheered randomly.

"I'm tired of this," Haru said.

"It doesn't matter what it's about…" Ayame started, "the important this is that I will be in it!"

"Hey, Ayame, I'm telling this now—I _won't _be in it," Hatori said, making himself clear, "Are you listening?"

"You'll just have to listen and find out what it's about," said Hanajima, "You mustn't be so lazy…"

"That's right!! I must get this CD!!" Kagura decided. "Then I can listen to Kyo-Kun's voice all the time!! I reserved one at the CD store, but maybe that's not the best way?!" She ran to the store, literally.

"Mister! Please get me my reserved Fruits Basket!!"

"Welcome!! Because you're so cute I threw in some free bananas!!"

The man handed her a basket of fruit—including bananas—and gave her the CD.

"I'm so happy!" Kagura cheered, holding her CD and free bananas and assorted fruits.

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**A/N: It's all done! Hope you liked it! Check soon for the second story, "True Secrets"! I must warn you now...it may be quite a while until I start publishing the story, because after last summer, when I wrote most of the first story, things got really hectic, you know? First year of middle school, along with everything else I do, which takes up a lot of my time. :) Anyway, thank you all _so much_! ****:3**

_**ButterflyInAJar-**_**You're welcome! And thank you! I try my absolute very best when I write this. Well, maybe in exception of the bonus chapter here...because it didn't make the best sense! Haha. But of course, nothing could ever compare to the original work by Natsuki Takaya! Thanks again! **

**_BornAtTheBreakOfDawn-_Aww thanks! You're right, reviews make me really happy. :D  
**


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